Illuminate Gainsborough 2022

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Thank you everyone who attended Illuminate 2022!

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Take a look back on what was a magnificent event right here in Gainsborough! View the Illuminate 2022 gallery.


Illuminate Gainsborough 2022 promises to be a fabulous evening of projections, lanterns and a spectacular fire garden right in the town’s historic heart.

On Saturday 26 November, Gainsborough will once again be filled with light and sound with fabulous projections onto the walls of Gainsborough Old Hall, a fire garden in the grounds of All Saints’ Parish Church, street performers and a guided walk along Trent Riverside.

Last year’s event attracted approximately 2000 people, inviting them to connect with the rich heritage of the town through the Mayflower 400 anniversary. We’re excited to be bringing back Illuminate uniting our local communities to share what they love about where they live.

What’s On
Karl Wood Art Town Trail
  • Town Trail – featuring Gainsborough artist Karl Wood’s paintings on shop windows through the town centre*
    • Trails available to collect on the day at Gainsborough Heritage Centre (DN21 2HS). The centre will be open 10am to 4pm. You can also download it here.

Find out more about each piece of artwork here

  • Guided Walk along Trent Riverside – bring your own mini lantern for a moonlight walk along the historic riverside
  • Projected film at Gainsborough Old Hall – feature projection by Electric Egg repeated throughout the evening from 6pm to 8.30pm*
  • Fire garden at All Saints’ Parish Church – featuring fire sculptures and performers, from 6pm to 8pm*

*Free activities; children must be accompanied by a responsible adult

Please note, details are subject to change. For regular updates and the latest event details follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Take a look back at last year’s Illuminate event – Illuminate 2021 Gallery.

Make Your Own Lantern!

Make your own lantern to bring with you to Illuminate and join the guided walk at 5.30pm, finishing at the big event outside Gainsborough Old Hall and All Saints’ Parish Church.

Free drop in session – Saturday 26 November, 11am to 3.30pm

Visit All Saints Church on Illuminate day to make a lantern for free! There will also be an arts and crafts fair inside the church to pop in and support some local artists and crafters.

If you can’t make it to our free drop in session, download our toolkit to make your own. Don’t forget to bring it with you for the guided walk at 5.30pm.

Gainsborough Heritage Centre’s art competition – COMPETITION NOW CLOSED

Gainsborough Heritage Centre’s art competition invited young artists to create new designs to fill their front windows and encourage people to visit and find out more about the town’s fascinating past.

The competition closed on Sunday 30 October 2022. The winners will be announced soon and will receive win a £50 voucher or a free family ticket for a visit to Gainsborough Heritage Centre! All entries can be found here.

The competition was run by Gainsborough Heritage Association supported by West Lindsey District Council. This competition is part of the ‘West Lindsey Voices’ project.

2022 Theme: West Lindsey Voices

Illuminate Gainsborough 2022 will take place on Saturday 26th November thanks to funding from Arts Council England, West Lindsey District Council and Gainsborough Town Council. With heritage at its heart, the final event will reflect on the district’s past, present and future through the voices of local residents and young people.

This event is part of a wider project seeking to engage people from across the district to take part in a new story for the area. This will be captured through a specially commissioned film and projected onto the walls of Gainsborough Old Hall. Between each film, portraits of people from West Lindsey will be featured as part of the ‘Along the Edge’ project by Steven Hatton. Take a look below to find out more…

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