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Light Up The Town 2026
MarketPlace Arts returned to Brandon, Chatteris and Whittlesey with Light Up The Town 2026.
Location:
Brandon, Chatteris & Whittlesey
Dates:
6-7 February
20-21 February
6-7 March
Admission:
Free
We welcomed over 1,200 residents and visitors for a vibrant, free two-night celebration of light art celebrating the natural world.
Across the 3 towns, each local church played host to a striking immersive installation by internationally recognised West Suffolk artist Henry Driver. The interactive video artwork invited visitors to explore the hidden microbial worlds within rivers, lakes and seas. Visitors of all ages took part in hands-on projection workshops and video games created by the artist, creating a lively and inclusive atmosphere that encouraged creativity and learning.
Much of Henry’s work is inspired by coming from a farming family and witnessing the effects of climate change on the industry. Water Portals was created through discussion and collaboration with leading scientists Dr Pinnegar, Dr Kroeger, Dr Mayes & Dr Jenni Rant from the Centre for Environment Fisheries & Aquaculture Science, at the University of East Anglia. Solar energy powered the production of the project.
Henry Driver, exhibiting artist shared:
“As someone who grew up and lives in the West Suffolk countryside, I’m incredibly proud to be part of Light Up The Town, and I was thrilled to show my artwork and video games as part of it.”
In Brandon, a major highlight of the weekend was the unveiling of a new permanent mural at Brandon Heritage Centre. Revealed on Friday evening, the artwork was co-created with local youth group Teen Chill and members of the Breckland Astronomical Society who provided imagery of Brandon’s night skies. Brought to life by mural artist Luke McDonnell, it features glow in the dark elements that come alive under UV light. The mural celebrates Brandon’s heritage, natural landscape and strong sense of community, and will remain as a lasting legacy of the project and a permanent artwork for the town. A film documenting the creation of the mural is also currently being produced by Chiba Directive. The mural was supported with funding from Brandon Town Council.
Luke McDonnell, the mural artist, said:
“Working on the mural in Brandon was an absolute pleasure. I adore projects like this as they essentially enable you to dig up historic and cultural treasure! I spanned generations when accruing inspiration from the community, from ‘Teen-Chill’ all the way to a 90 year old local astronomer.
During my time painting I was able to converse with all the locals who were incredibly complimentary and encouraging. They brought cups of tea, cakes and sausage rolls throughout the week. I heard conversations about the mural and took a lot of joy from hearing local children educating themselves on the likes of Charles Brandon, star charts, and taking interest in the heritage centre.”
On Saturday, a tractor provided by O W Wortley and Sons, farmers of the Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network, was stationed in the Market Square and illuminated with hundreds of fairy lights, creating a striking focal point that celebrated the area’s agricultural heritage.
In Chatteris, visitors were invited to experience a captivating Community Lantern Display, showcasing a vibrant collection of lanterns handcrafted by local residents. The event marked the culmination of weeks of free community workshops led by expert artists from Light Whale International, where local people of all ages came together to design and craft an extraordinary collection of lanterns inspired by the natural world.
One of the standout achievements of the project was a spectacular 4 metre long grasshopper lantern created by Light Whale International and built with the help of dedicated local volunteers. Inspired by the Large Marsh Grasshopper, one of the UK’s biggest grasshopper species and a native of the Fens, the final piece measured an impressive 4 metres long and 2 metres high, making it roughly 80 times the size of its real-life counterpart.
Jonathon Ben-Shaul, Creative Director of Light Whale International, said:
“We have been delivering a much-loved biannual lantern parade in Peterborough for the past three years, and so it feels especially exciting to deepen our connections across the Fens. We’ve been blown away by the creativity in Chatteris, from a life-size elephant lantern to an intricate willow microbe!”
In Whittlesey, residents and visitors took part in a guided Community Light Walk along Whittlesey’s Heritage Trail. Led by Ashley Dolling, the walk retold local folklore. Participants embraced the spirit of the event by wearing glowing and illuminated outfits, from fairy lights and fluorescent clothing to inventive light-up straw bear accessories, adding to the sense of celebration throughout the town. The folklore walk route will be made available on the MarketPlace Arts website for free use.
Ashley Dolling, researcher of the community light walk:
“I was excited to support Marketplace Arts in illuminating some of the things which makes Whittlesey special, its community, history and landscape. This event literally shines a light on what we all love about the town”.
We would like to thank:
Venues:
St Mary’s Pathway Church Whittlesey, Chatteris Parish Church, St Peter’s Church Brandon and Brandon Heritage Centre
Artists and collaborators:
Henry Driver, Luke McDonnell, Brandon Leisure & Health Hub Teen Chill, Light Whale International, Ashley Dolling, Hugh Lodge of Breckland Astronomical Society and O.W. Wortley & Sons Ltd of the Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network
Supporters:
Brandon Town Council, Seasons Garden Centre Chatteris, Cromwell Community College
About Henry Driver
Henry Driver is an artist based in Suffolk. He has shown artwork across the world in; Japan, Canada, Australia and beyond. Henry’s artworks, videogames and installations aim to connect people to the environment. His work explores how to combat the climate crisis by presenting achievable responses to this. Much of Henry’s work is inspired by coming from a farming family and witnessing the effects of climate change on the industry.
Instagram:@HenryDriver
About Light Whale International
Light Whale International create community-focused lantern parades, installations, and workshops. Using storytelling, music, and street theatre, the group brings local histories to life through large-scale illuminated spectacles. Their work has featured at Illuminate Bermondsey festival, Tonnerre S’Éclaire in France and Light Up Eye Village.
www.lightwhaleinternational.com
Instagram: @LightWhaleInternational
About Luke McDonnell
Luke McDonnell is a mural artist with 20 years experience. He is an experienced Street Artist, Illustrator and Graphic designer. He is Managing Director at Chiba Creative. (www.chibacreative.com)
Instagram: @LukeMcdonnellArt
Facebook: Luke McDonnell – Street Artist, Illustrator, Graphic designer
What is Light Up The Town?
Light Up The Town is an annual light art project by MarketPlace Arts, co-created with local communities. It aims to bring people together in the blue months after the festive season, when community members might feel isolated. At this time of year, when much of the landscape is dark and dormant, we bring artworks that celebrate the local environment and the oncoming spring. Find out about what we did last year here:
Light Up The Town 2025