by Alice Bacon, Founding Producer, Luminara –
It’s hard to imagine that Sidney’s waterfront could be more beautiful than it already is, but visualize a summer’s evening at dusk, the tide reflecting the light of hundreds of handmade lanterns, the park filled with elaborately costumed characters and a convivial atmosphere of creativity and community, and you have the Ninth Annual Salish Sea Lantern Festival, returning to light up the night on Saturday, August 20, 2022.
Originally conceived of in 2013 by Artistic Director Jennifer Witvliet, the festival began as a simple lantern walk for children, and has since grown into a large scale celebration of culture, creativity community and ecology, with elaborately constructed light-up structures of mermaids, orca, salmon and many other creatures of the sea, real and imagined.
Sidney has been Jennifer’s home base since age nine. Her family has strong ties to the water: her father Peter was a crab fisherman in Tofino and her mother Sheila has been very involved in the boating community in Canoe Cove and Sidney. Jennifer has always loved the water and her art practise has long been connected to themes of the sea. She attended the Victoria College of Art and Camosun College’s Visual Arts program before transferring to Emily Carr College of Art and Design where she studied fine art and film-making. After working as a production artist for the Inter-Cultural Association’s Luminara Lantern Festival for six years, and as artistic associate for Saanich Recreation’s Autumn Moon Festival, Jennifer felt strongly about creating the same kind of light and magic in her home community. She approached the ArtSea Community Arts Council to partner with her on the idea, and the Salish Sea Lantern Festival was born.
After a change in format due to Covid restriction, Jennifer is particularly looking forward to the return of the festival environment and the enhancements to the event that are planned. ”I am really, really excited about coming back together, creating spectacle and beauty as a community, ” says Jennifer. ”This year we have more installations, more performers, and more time to enjoy the magic together.” In addition to a procession of lanterns around Beacon Park and the Bandstand area, there will be more static installations set up for people to enjoy at their leisure. Areas along the walkway and the Pier will be emblazoned with various creations that have been produced by Jennifer and her team of volunteer artists.
“I just love working with the volunteers,” enthuses Jennifer. “It’s really neat – it keeps me going. We get together in a creative zone, working, talking, laughing and creating. Everyone lights up – it is just so positive. They seem to need me as much as I need them. The sense of community is really strong”.
In fact, community participation is integral to the magic of the festival and the Week of Lanterns leading up to the event. The public are encouraged to create a lantern to display at home August 14-20th and then bring it to the festival. Costumes, face paint, light-up accessories or whatever catches the imagination are also encouraged. Live entertainment at the Bandshell and throughout the waterfront area includes folk rockers Daniel Cook and the Radiators, the Uminari Taiko drummers, local singers, musicians, costumed interactive characters, giant puppets and stiltwalker. The price of admission? Your creativity and community spirit.
Salish Sea Lantern Festival is presented by ArtSea Community Arts Council. Details available at www.artsea.ca.
Photos courtesy Chris Cheadle, Nuttycake Photography, Bob Orchard and Sharon Stoose.
