Let there be light! Welcome to Otherham

The inaugural Otherham Winter Light Festival took over five of Rotherham town centre’s buildings to celebrate the borough becoming the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture in 2025.

Brought to life by Flux Rotherham, Children’s Capital of Culture, theatre company imitating the dog, RMBC Events and writing charity Grimm and Co, Otherham was a mesmerising trail of illuminated art and sound projections which transformed the town centre, also featuring live street theatre, music, film, and interactive workshops at Forge Island, Imperial Buildings, Grimm and Co and Rotherham Minster.

To create the ideas for Otherham, Grimm and Co, in partnership with imitating the dog, ran a six-week writing programme for young people aged 12-16.

Participants reimagined Rotherham as an otherworldly place, with their stories inspiring the projection designs.

The five main sites featuring the light projections were 'The Ministry for Weather and Goodwill' at Rotherham Minster, 'The Bright Ideas Mining Company Inc' at Rise House, Vicarage Lane, 'The Otherham Chronicle' at Holy Ghost Tattoo, on High Street, 'The Cinema of Future Films' also on High Street and 'The Centre for Coming and Going' at Rotherham Town Hall, The Crofts.

Larger-than-life animal puppets and toad-stalls took over the grounds of the Minster and Minster Gardens, while over on Forge Island there was a light and sound installation by Pif-Paf Theatre, and LED circus workshops, as well as live music.

Speaking at the launch event in Rotherham Minster – attended by dignitaries including the Mayor of Rotherham Cllr Sheila Cowen and Rotherham MP Sarah Champion – Flux Rotherham programme director Helen Jones said: “We are excited to bring this free, world-class cultural experience to the heart of Rotherham as we begin our landmark year as the first ever Children’s Capital of Culture.

“It’s been imagined by Rotherham’s children and young people and invites you to see our wonderful town through their wildly creative lens.

“Children have been involved in every stage of the planning and delivery of Otherham – this is the imaginations of children and young people who are full of stories and writing their own narrative and inventing their own future.

“Nothing like this would have happened without them.”

Teachers from Rawmarsh and Thrybergh Schools also shared how their year nine art students had benefited from creative workshops with imitating the dog in the run-up to the festival.

imitating the dog co-artistic director Simon Wainwright said: “We invited Rotherham’s young people to dream up a magical, unpredictable and out-of-step world, with their stories serving as inspiration for our projection designs.

“We have made projects all over the world over the last 26 years but we've never worked with a team of people so positive.

“From Flux to Grimm and Co and all the organisations involved – everyone was so accommodating and so willing to make things happen.

“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with the young people of Rotherham – there's nothing like children's imaginations.

“They provided a rich seam of material and we wove our ideas around it and that has been a real privilege.”