Boston Brilliance Festival of Light 2025: A Spectacular Success!

Eight iconic landmarks were lit up in a dazzling display of colour, celebrating Boston's rich heritage and artistic talent. This incredible event was made possible through a collaboration between Boston College, the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, and The Projection Studio, with funding from Arts Council England and additional backing from local councils and businesses. A special thank you to Greenyard Frozen, Ruddocks and Chattertons, whose generous support helped bring this ambitious festival to life, creating a stunning celebration of Boston's history, creativity, and community spirit. 

Visitors explored stunning projections across Cammacks, Waterstones, Pescod Hall, St Botolph's Church, St Botolph's Bridge, The Assembly Rooms, Sam Newsom Centre, Boston Guildhall, and Fydell House. 

Boston College's Graphic Design students played a pivotal role in the festival, creating three striking installations: 

• 'Brilliance' at Cammacks - A bold, abstract display inspired by the town's energy and Art Deco architecture. 
• 'By Sea and By Land' at Sam Newsom Centre - A projection highlighting Boston's maritime and agricultural heritage. 
• 'Boston Life' at Waterstones - A dynamic portrayal of the town's past and present through light and motion. 

This hands-on project gave students the opportunity to collaborate with internationally renowned projection artists, allowing them to work on a live brief and gain invaluable real-world experience. 

Beyond their creative contributions, Catering students prepared and served nachos and crumble, developing their skills in food preparation and customer service. Travel and Tourism and Uniformed Public Services students took on essential event stewarding roles, managing crowds and assisting visitors, gaining hands-on experience in event coordination and public engagement. Meanwhile, Business students played an active role by distributing light-up wands in exchange for donations to the College's Be Brilliant Foundation, combining fundraising experience with customer interaction. Media students also gained valuable real-world experience by capturing the event through videography, documenting the festival's highlights and atmosphere. These opportunities reinforced Boston College's commitment to industry-focused learning, equipping students with practical skills that will benefit them in their future careers. 

Claire Foster Principal and CEO said, "Boston College has always been at the heart of our communities, but this event has taken that special relationship to a whole new level. Boston Brilliance has been a unique opportunity, giving students the chance to learn from world-renowned projection and sound artists, showcasing their own creative talents and gaining invaluable life skills for the future. It's been really hard work, but we can't wait to do it again!" 

Alongside Boston College students, artwork from local schools, including St Nicholas C.E. Primary Academy, Gipsey Bridge Academy, Carlton Road Primary School, Hawthorn Tree School, and Boston Grammar School was displayed on The Assembly Rooms throughout the event. This provided young artists with an incredible opportunity to see their work projected onto one of Boston's key landmarks. 

Alongside the work of Boston College students, the festival featured stunning projections from a lineup of internationally acclaimed artists: 

• Ross Ashton and Karen Monid (The Projection Studio, UK) - Specialists in large-scale projection mapping, with experience spanning the Queen's Golden Jubilee, the FIFA World Cup, and international light festivals. 
• Noémi Prud'homme (France) - A visual artist renowned for intricate light-based storytelling, creating a medieval manuscript-inspired projection at Pescod Hall. 
• Pep Palau (Spain) - An expert in immersive visual storytelling, known for his work on Versace's fashion events, Canada's Winter Olympics, and Denmark's Global Climate Change Conference. His piece 'The Kraken' at The Assembly Rooms combined poetry and projection. 
• Video Architects (Lithuania) - A collective specialising in 3D projection mapping, whose installation 'Diptych' at The Assembly Rooms explored contrasts of light and shadow through cutting-edge digital techniques. 
• Alex Birch (UK) - A lighting artist who transformed St Botolph's Bridge into a 'Bridge of Light', featuring ever-changing, multi-coloured animations. 

The event came alive with a vibrant mix of interactive experiences. Visitors stepped back in time with guided tours of Fydell House, uncovering its rich history, while a captivating VR experience at Boston Guildhall, led by MBD's Infinite Museum Artists in Residence, immersed guests in the Mayflower story and families enjoyed hands-on fun at Hannah Peacock's Arts and Crafts Workshop. The atmosphere at St Botolph's was enhanced by a stunning live performance from pianist Charlie Hooper-Williams, with projection mapping bringing the music to life. Local artists and students showcased their creativity at pop-up stalls. Pescod Square echoed with a medieval soundscape, and the streets were filled with energy from street theatre performances by Theatre Illuminere, Rhubarb Theatre, and Feasible Ferret. 

Speaking of his contribution to Boston Brilliance, Ross Ashton said, "Boston Brilliance was a fantastic project to work on. This was my personal opportunity to bring forward the UK's first Projection Mapping Festival. It was a pleasure to bring some of the biggest names in the world of projection mapping to Boston, and they created some incredible artworks using the town's history and architecture as their inspiration. I wanted to give local artists, students, and school children the chance to have their work displayed alongside these international names, and the work they produced was outstanding. My dream, in collaboration with Boston College and Boston Borough Council, was to make Boston a centre of excellence for this kind of artwork and to establish this festival as a 'must-see' attraction. The people of Boston truly got behind this project, and we received so much support in making it a reality. Thank you, Boston!" 

Cllr Sarah Sharpe, Portfolio Holder for Culture at Boston Borough Council and representative on the Story Tellers NPO culture board, said: "Boston Brilliance has truly lived up to its name, transforming our town into a vibrant and unforgettable celebration of art, history, and community spirit. This festival has not only illuminated our iconic landmarks but has also shone a light on the incredible creative talent we have here in Boston. The involvement of local students, schools, and internationally renowned artists has made this a unique and inspiring event for all. We are incredibly proud to have supported this project, and I hope it is the first of many successful events for Boston in 2025." 

With its incredible success, Boston Brilliance has set a new standard for cultural events in the town, leaving a lasting impact and a glowing legacy for the future.