Line of Light is a festival to celebrate the communities that live above the new tunnels of the Northern line extension, as well as the two new Tube stations at Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms that opened 20th September 2021. Following the 3.2 kilometres of tunnels that run between the two stations and Kennington, the large-scale light installation will project their underground course into the sky, also illuminating the stations and buildings along the way with visual projections. An accompanying suite of locally created soundscapes will add a specially commissioned ‘album’ of the area. The installation will appear from 6.30pm – 10pm on 29th and 30th October, with additional free daytime activities taking place at two festival hubs at New Union Square and a second near the new Nine Elms station.
Line of Light is a large-scale lights installation created by Australian artists Projection Teknik, which uses a daisy-chain of high-density beams to paint the route of the tunnels onto the sky. Buildings along the route will be illuminated by moving projections inspired by themes of connectivity and togetherness. An accompanying series of podcasts will capture the music, voices and atmosphere of the neighbourhoods directly above the tunnels of the Northern line extension. Lead artist Sam Jones of SoundThread is working with community leaders, libraries, local arts organisations and Royal College of Art students to create an ‘album’ of the area that reflects the diversity of the people and places. Violinist Emma Smith will interpret local musicians’ music into a string arrangement, and the audio tapestry will be released as a series of 3-7 minute podcasts available to download from the website while walking the route or to listen to at home.
The two free festival hubs, running from 4pm to 9pm, will bring a festival vibe, bringing together local businesses and communities with free performances. The New Union Square hub will feature street entertainment and acoustic acts, while the hub near Nine Elms station will be featuring live music with a line-up of local acts to be announced.
Wandsworth Councillor Steffi Sutters, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Open Spaces, said: “The Line of Light festival will be a landmark celebration of the historic opening of the Northern line extension which is a complete game-changer for this part of Battersea and Nine Elms.”
“I’m thrilled Wandsworth Council is presenting this innovative light festival along the route of the tunnels and would like to thank our committed local partners, neighbouring boroughs and TfL for their support in helping us highlight this new transport connection and what it means for the area. It’s a great example of how we can strengthen and build new connections between our diverse communities – old and new.”
Lambeth Councillor Sonia Winifred, Cabinet Member for Equalities and Culture, said: “The opening of the Northern Line extension gives us a great opportunity to reflect on the new connections this brings to the communities living along the route, both new and old.”
“The Line of Light festival is a fantastic way for our diverse communities to come together to explore their neighbourhoods, and highlight what they have to offer, through a spectacular celebration of light and sound, where local voices can be heard.”
“We hope this festival will have something for everyone and showcases the creative talents of all the artists involved.”
Line of Light is presented by London Borough of Wandsworth and London Borough of Lambeth, with support from partners Battersea Power Station, Embassy Gardens, R&F Properties, Urbanest and VINCI St. Modwen. Supporting partners are TfL and Vauxhall One, with technical support from PANI.
Projection Teknik was established in 1992 by Nick Azidis, an Australian born new media artist and projection illusionist specialising in large-scale projections, in both digital and analogue mediums. and has compiled a diverse body of work over nearly three decades as a producer, content developer/creator and technician. Nick is interested in storytelling and creating eternal memories. He creates aesthetically beautiful pieces that transform a viewer’s perception of their surroundings, with a blanket of luminescent designs. Nick has delivered projections for The Australian Centre for the Moving Image, All Together Now Festival (Ireland), Lightpool Festival (UK), Love Light Norwich Festival (UK), Athens International Video Art Festival (Greece) as well as Gertrude Projection Festival, Melbourne White Night, ANZAC centenary on the NGV, Melbourne International Music Week, Melbourne Biennale, and Australian Open Tennis championships.
