Here’s a handy guide to what’s going on around Yorkshire this week.
Illuminate The Gardens
Illuminate The Gardens will have their last show at Sheffield Botanical Gardens this weekend. The annual lights and fireworks show has been hosted at the Botanical Gardens since 2015, and will have their final show from the 7th to the 9th of November after ten years and eight shows.
Sheffield Botanical Gardens will be lit up with over ten illuminated installations set up across the premises. The Pavillion will host the intermittent light shows from the glass house, broken up by the two firework displays for the night: the “low bangs” display for young children earlier in the evening, and the main display.
Other entertainment include walkabout performances, free kids activities, and diverse street food stalls.
With no word on what’s next for the event after this, head to the Botanical Gardens when you can.
Aesthetica Film Festival
The Aesthetica Film Festival returns to York this week, celebrating 15 years of the event.
Starting from the 5th of November, the festival will show over 300 short films over the five day period in 15 venues across York.
The BAFTA and BIFA qualifying festival is one of the UK’s leading international film festivals.
Aesthetica prides itself on hosting a diverse selection of independent cinema, with documentaries, comedies, drama, and animated short feature films making up part of its programme.
The event will feature a line up of guest hosts, including Taskmaster winner Sophie Duker, who will lead a night of comedy. Also taking to the stage are BBC film critic Mark Kermode and his band, The Dodge Brothers.
Several film industry events will be running alongside the event, from masterclasses to networking and pitching sessions.
BD: is LIT 2025
Bradford city centre will light up on 7th and 8th of November for BD: is LIT 2025.
The light festival will celebrate Bradford’s rich cultural heritage and architecture with illuminating sculptures and performance art, designed by local, national and international artists.
Organised by Bradford City Council and Bradford 2025, this festival takes place during Bradford’s year as the UK City of Culture.
Some of the light sculptures include Monolith: a large-scale installation that explores our present and future relationship with data and screens, combining light, sound, and context with unprecedented results. Brought to Bradford by Urban Spy, the piece aims to question our relationship with technology and privacy.
Another highlight is Rainbow Butterflies by Anne Bennett, a sculpture that recreates the shimmer of the Blue Morpho butterfly through hundreds of glowing butterflies that shift in colour from deep blue to turquoise.