On Saturday 22 October, this year, the World Heritage Site will ‘light up’ in celebration of the festival of Diwali – Festival of Lights with a free programme of events as part of the Greenwich Light Time series, linking the National Maritime Museum, Old Royal Naval College and Greenwich Town Centre.
The display will culminate in a spectacular light show from 6.45pm until 8.30pm with colourful lighting adorning some of the most iconic classical buildings at the Word Heritage Site. It includes a community-sourced film projected across the historic buildings, made up of kaleidoscopic ‘rangolis’ - a colourful art form originating in the Indian subcontinent – created by local schools, families and other community groups. A key viewing point to enjoy the show is the Lower Grand Square at the Old Royal Naval College.
Peter Marsden, Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site Co-ordinator, said: “The light up has been made possible with funding from the Mayor of London’s High Streets for All Challenge (HSFA)*. The event will help to boost the local economy and enable the local community and visitors alike to celebrate Greenwich’s rich and diverse cultural heritage in an imaginative and enjoyable way”.
Further details about the event and the programme can be found online on the Royal Borough of Greenwich, at the Old Royal Naval College, and Royal Museums Greenwich.
*The High Streets for All Challenge invited local partnerships from every London borough to bring forward and co-design innovative high street recovery strategies and proposals. Each strategy addresses common and local challenges and underpin the public re-imagining of high streets and town centres across London. Strategies can support actions across an entire high street, or focus on an innovative exemplar high street recovery project.