Thamesmead Light Festival 2020 - 23

Thamesmead Light Festival ran for three years after local people requested a winter event. The light festivals all featured trails of stunning installations that illuminated the beauty of Thamesmead’s landscape.  

Our first light festival was held in 2020 at Tump 53 Nature Reserve and Butts Canal. Art installations brought light and intrigue to little known spaces. 

In 2021 ‘Light the Way’ created a magical route of installations from Lesnes Abbey down to Southmere Lake. It was delivered by Emergency Exit Arts in partnership with London Borough of Bexley. It featured new commissions from local artists inspired by Thamesmead’s wild landscapes. 

In 2022 we held the Thamesmead Light Festival around Southmere Lake with a walking trail from the lake to Crossway Park. There was a silent disco in the underpass and light installations throughout Crossway Park. ‘New fronters’ was the showstopper of the festival. It was a 25m wide x 12m high water screen which displayed four films that tied into the light festival’s theme of highlighting the beauty and importance of Thamesmead’s natural environment.