Final Lumiere under way but is it really the end?

A council and event producers appear to be at odds over the future of the Durham Lumiere festival.

Organisers previously announced that this year's light festival, showcasing installations across Durham city and Shildon, would be the last due to increasing costs.

As the festival got under way, Helen Marriage, artistic director of Lumiere and chief executive of Artichoke, confirmed it would be the last one, adding: "If you have to choose between bins and ballet, it's clear what people will choose."

However, Reform-led Durham County Council, which commissions the festival, said it would review this year's event and that it was not "necessarily the end of Lumiere, or light art in Durham".

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the event in Durham city and Shildon, which runs from 17:00 to 22:00 GMT until 15 November.

Six attractions had to close on the opening night due to heavy rain and rising water levels, half of them at Crook Hall.

The county council's corporate director of regeneration, economy and growth, Tony Hanson, said: "What we wanted to do is look at a review after this year's event.

"That doesn't mean its necessarily the end of Lumiere, or light art in Durham, we're very keen to see what will happen."

Mr Hanson said the council would look at "funding opportunities that may exist in the future".

He said: "It is not the end of light art in Durham and there will be opportunities in the future that we'll hopefully look to deliver."

"Watch this space," he added.

When asked if there was a possibility of a U-turn, Ms Marriage said: "You need a level of commitment."

She said councils and stakeholders "have to make choices about where their priorities lie".

She also said the prospect of the final Durham Lumiere made her "terribly sad".

Peter Sixsmith, from Shildon, has attended every single Lumiere since the festival started and began volunteering at the event in 2015.

He said there was a "sense of disappointment", but also "acceptance" that a change was needed.

"I think there may be another one in the future, but I think it will be very different from the one that we have now," the 74-year-old said.

"I shall miss it, although perhaps not on nights like tonight when I think I'm going to get rather wet."

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