Lumiere's County Durham landmark projects bringing whole communities together

In 2019, Artichoke helped to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Peterlee’s Apollo Pavilion with two landmark projects – Apollo 50 and Lift Off.

This month, we explore how we made these projects happen, and the impact that they had on people living in Peterlee.

Commissioned by Durham County Council as part of Durham’s Year of Culture, Apollo 50 was a unique light projection created by Berlin-based duo, Mader Wiermann.

The artwork used cutting-edge light and video mapping techniques to transform the façade of the Apollo Pavilion, an iconic piece of brutalist architecture designed by British pioneer

of abstract art, Victor Pasmore.

Mader Wiermann’s moving projections evoked the Apollo 11 moon landing space flight, which also marked its 50th anniversary in 2019.

Displayed over two nights, March 22 and 23, 2019, the installation reflected the monochrome geometric aesthetic associated “with the Bauhaus school of art, which also celebrated its centenary in 2019.

Apollo 50 by Mader Wiermann for the Apollo Pavilion, commissioned by Durham County Council, produced by Artichoke Picture: C.Ano

Reflecting on her memories of Apollo 50, Heike Wiermann, one half of the duo behind the piece, said: “Our

intention was to really change the perception of this heavy, concrete structure with the fleeting medium of light.

“Working in Peterlee was a wonderful experience, and public art projects like this are an opportunity for all people – there is no admission fee and no threshold.

“The everyday environment can become visible again through this experience.”

Alison Clark, head of culture, sport and tourism at Durham County Council, agrees. She said: “The Apollo Pavilion is a striking example of brutalist architecture and a very important part of the story of Peterlee.

“These creative projects provided an opportunity for people to reconnect with the sculpture on its 50th anniversary and it was wonderful to see the community coming together to experience a remarkable spectacle.”

“It was a shared community experience. It made things better”

Many local people came out of their houses to watch the display from their doorsteps, and audiences were able to wander through the structure experiencing it at their leisure.

William Nicholson, a tutor in Creative Industries at East Durham College and Peterlee resident, recalls his experience of seeing Apollo 50.

He said: “It was wonderful to see people of all ages enjoying the installation.

“I believe that the event fundamentally changed perceptions people had about the Apollo Pavilion.

“There were young people sitting on the grass just watching and enjoying the movement of light and sound and there were older couples walking around the site to see it from different perspectives.

“It was a shared community experience. It made things better.”

Apollo 50 by Mader Wiermann for the Apollo Pavilion, commissioned by Durham County Council, produced by ArtichokePicture: Lee Dobson

In his role as tutor at East Durham College, William went on to support a group of media students to participate in Lift Off, a Lumiere community learning project inspired by Apollo 50.

In partnership with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s BA course in Video Design for Live Performance, Artichoke invited 15 learners from the college to participate in a series of masterclasses with Guildhall staff. The group learned how to use video mapping and other creative animation techniques to produce a piece light art, which was displayed at Lumiere 2019.

Above picture by Matthew Andrews, Lift Off. Below, students from East Durham College in London with students from Guildhall School of Music & Drama’

As well as visiting the Apollo 50 installation, the Lift Off participants were also invited by Guildhall School to attend the immersive Beasts of London exhibition at City of London Museum in May 2019.

Third-year Guildhall students had created the digital displays for Beasts of London and they shared their experience with the East Durham students, talked about what it is like to study at Guildhall and have the opportunity to work on professional commissions.

William describes the impact that the project continues to have on the participants: ‘The Artichoke team and the creatives from Guildhall School were very generous with the sharing of their time and knowledge.

“From the start of the project to completion they were completely focused on helping the young people involved to find their own voice.

“As a result, the young people felt full ownership of the creative development process and of the final artwork.

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“Several students have decided to focus on art as their main career route because of their involvement in the project, and some learners who were not directly involved in the main project but took part in the visit to Guildhall School have focused their energy and are now studying art, and they will be studying at Northern School of Art from September 2021.

The project allowed the young people to have a deeper understanding of the potential opportunities they have available to them.”