Bright ideas from primary school pupils in Beeston will be part of the city’s biggest annual cultural event this month.
Creative concepts cooked up by the city’s youngsters will be showcased during October’s dazzling Light Night Leeds, which this year seeks to engage more people across the city than ever before.
Sponsored by Northern Powergrid, Light Night Leeds is working with four local primary schools inspiring the next generation of light artists. Guided by artist Gemma Wood, children are asked to design the most imaginative artwork using light, without being hampered by practical restrictions.
The designs by children at Park View Primary Academy, Armley Park, Little London and Shakespeare primary schools will be shown at Wellington Place during Light Night Leeds.
With the theme of Landmarks, this year’s event will celebrate some of the city’s historic civic buildings, modern architecture and public spaces as well as asking visitors to contemplate their own personal landmarks and the places which are important and memorable to them.
Even those who can’t go to Light Night Leeds are getting involved in the event. Children and young people in hospitals or residential care are taking part through activity packs designed by artist Rhian Cooke, produced by Yorkshire Contemporary and sponsored by Northern Powergrid.
And for others who can’t attend in person, the event will be livestreamed from 7-8pm on Thursday 23 October 2025.
The people of Leeds have also contributed to several artworks to be displayed during the event, which is happening on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 October.
For one installation, The Matter of the Hearts, a collection of local residents will be wearing a heart monitor for the duration of Light Night Leeds. Each person has a corresponding lightbox in the artwork that will flash in time with their beat, and wherever the participants are during this time their hearts will be seen flashing together. The piece is located at Monk Bridge Viaduct Garden.
Another piece, entitled Stitching Light and exhibited at Holy Trinity Church on Boar Lane, tells the migration stories of women of Bangladeshi heritage from Shantona Women’s Centre in Harehills.
Along with Bangladeshi women from Bradford, Middlesbrough, Salford, Tower Hamlets, London and Worcester, who have been brought together by Emergency Exit Arts, their rarely told stories take centre stage. Participants have stitched light reactive thread depicting their experiences onto traditional folk style paintings made up of large fabric panels.
For the piece Motus Mori PERPETUUM, Katja Heitmann has created an immersive and deeply moving video installation, where the movements of 12 people from Leeds are projected on a monumental scale.
Selected by Yorkshire Dance and Transform Festival, these Leeds residents will become part of the Motus Mori (extinct movement) archive, numbering over 2,000 people and celebrating all physical abilities. Visitors are invited to stand face to face with the holograms at Assembly Street and hear the stories behind their personal gestures.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said:
“This year everyone in Leeds can get involved in Light Night Leeds, whether they are able to attend or not.
“It’s great to see children participating and even showcasing some of their work at the event, as well as having so many of our residents being part of the actual artworks.
“As always, we are looking forward to one the biggest cultural events of the year.”
Louise Lowes, Director of Customer Service at Northern Powergrid, said:
“We’re really proud to be part of Light Night Leeds and to help celebrate creativity across the city.
“Electricity powers our everyday lives, but events like this remind us how it can also inspire, connect and spark imagination.
“We’re always looking for meaningful ways to support community events like this and make a positive impact in the places we live and work, because when we invest in people and local communities, we’re helping to build a brighter, more connected future for everyone.”
Light Night Leeds 2025 takes place across the city on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 October 2025 from 6pm to 10pm.
Visit www.lightnightleeds.co.uk and follow Light Night Leeds on social media for more information.
This post is based on a press release issued by Leeds City Council
While you’re here, can we ask a favour?
South Leeds Life is published by a not-for-profit social enterprise. We keep our costs as low as possible but we’ve been hit by increases in the print costs for our monthly newspaper which have doubled in the last two years.
Could you help support local community news by making a one off donation, or even better taking out a supporters subscription?
Donate here, or sign up for a subscription at bit.ly/SLLsubscribe
