Growing Enlighten to spill out to other venues in its 15th year

The Enlighten Festival is spreading its wings in its 15th year, with sites outside the National Triangle also lighting up during the 11-day event from Friday, 28 February, to Monday, 10 March.

Enlighten: Beyond will offer experiences and illuminations across the city, including immersive experiences in Glebe Park organised by the City Renewal Authority, at the National Film and Sound Archive, Mt Stromlo Observatory, the Australian National Botanic Gardens and the National Zoo and Aquarium.

An ACT Government spokesperson said the CRA and the other institutions were keen to participate in Enlighten, now well established in Canberra’s festival calendar. If the public response is encouraging, they are likely to continue offering events.

At Glebe Park, internationally renowned storytellers Erth will present The Nature of Things with nightly interactive performances.

Award-winning audiovisual artist Robin Fox’s other-worldly Constellations will transform the NFSA Gallery using a grid of 60 small crystal balls suspended from the ceiling that become target points for white laser light that explodes and refracts on impact, splitting into a colourful cornucopia of light and sound.

Mt Stromlo Observatory’s Stories of the Universe will share stories of Australian science, people, and our shared connection to the skies through projections and installations created by the ANU School of Art and Design. The Observatory will also conduct stargazing with the Canberra Astronomical Society.

The Australian National Botanic Gardens will illuminate the Rainforest Gully for its Reflect and Connect event on Friday, 7 March, and Saturday, 8 March.

For Enlighten, the National Zoo and Aquarium is staging 90-minute guided tours on the evenings of Friday, 28 February, and Friday, 7 March.

Some events will be ticketed.

This year, Enlighten will showcase Canberra’s role in Reflecting Our Story, the telling, sharing, holding and writing of Australian stories in multi-sensory experiences that celebrate Australia through dynamic art, sound and larger-than-life installations.

It will offer a diverse program of events that allows festival-goers to explore iconic cultural institutions, enjoy specially curated stunning projections, attend exclusive public programs, view art installations, and engage in interactive and immersive experiences.

The Festival Hub in Parkes will provide live music and a range of food and beverage options at The Enlighten Food Park, BentSpoke Beer Garden and Bar Berra.

Local and interstate artists, including Jett Blyton, Gia Ransome, Camino Gold and Anna Smirk, will join First Nations artists The Stiff Gins, Project Dust and Monica Moore.

The popular short film festival Lights! Canberra! Action! will return on Friday, 7 March, in the Senate Rose Gardens, highlighting talented local filmmakers’ interpretation of this year’s theme, ‘Looking Back, Looking Forward’.

On Sunday, 9 March, Symphony in the Park will feature Melbourne band The Bamboos with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra for a free evening of funk and soul.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said Enlighten brought the community together and invited visitors to come out to see Canberra’s iconic national institutions in a creative new light.

Mr Barr said the festival continued to grow each year, boosting the city’s tourism economy.

“This year, in celebration of 15 years of the festival, we are taking Enlighten to the streets with Enlighten: Beyond, lighting up Canberra and encouraging the community to explore installations beyond the traditional setting of the festival in the National Triangle,” he said.

The fun won’t stop with Enlighten. The Canberra Balloon Spectacular will follow from Saturday, 15 March, to Sunday, 23 March.

For more information, including event times and bookings, visit Enlighten Canberra.