BOLSOVER LANTERN PARADE 2012
The 19th Bolsover Lantern Parade took place on Saturday 1st December 2012, returning to the streets of Bolsover by popular demand after 2 years of remaining in the grounds of Bolsover Castle due to bad weather and funding constraints. Old Bolsover Town Council held the traditional Christmas Festival on the same day, organised by the Bolsover Christmas Festival Committee, of which Junction Arts is a member. This year we received £1000 funding support from Old Bolsover Town Council to support our schools workshop programme and marketing costs.
Junction Arts ran 6 full days (three weekends) in November of Open Community Lantern Making workshops for local people and families to make traditional tissue and willow lanterns at Bolsover Assembly Rooms, and an afternoon of Lantern Making at Surestart Children’s Centre, led by artist Liz Sparks. Emma Parkin, Carole Beavis and JA Staff ran 4.5 days of Schools Lantern Making Workshops in Brockley School, Palterton School and Bolsover Infants School. Chesterfield College made 3 fantastic giant lanterns in their own tutor-led workshops as part of their coursework, which they brought to the parade.
On the night of the event, a fire juggler entertained the crowd accompanied by music and drumming from the 15-Piece Battuta Samba Band. The parade started at Bolsover Castle at 5pm with the lighting of a community-led Fire Sculpture. Olympic Torch-bearer Shaun Brailsford led the Lantern Parade and musicians along High Street, Hornscroft Road and Town End, with a finale around the Christmas Tree in Market Place with a Bass Band and carol singing.
Attendance was excellent, with town residents and visitors lining the streets to watch the parade pass by.
Junction Arts had excellent support from English Heritage and our Christmas Festival Committee Partners, Bolsover District Council, Old Bolsover Town Council, local police officers and volunteers including the Chesterfield College Public Service Course students and staff who helped steward the parade. A team of young volunteer filmmakers recorded the event, which can be viewed on the Junction Arts website.
Junction Arts Project Coordinator: Aly Stoneman, Junction Arts
