Illuminating Oxford

Starting in 2015, each year as part of Oxford’s Light Festival, Fusion Arts works with artist collective Luxmuralis alongside an ever-increasing consortium of institutional partners (now Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Pitt Rivers Museum, the Bodleian Libraries / Radcliffe Camera, University Church of St Mary the Virgin and the Museum, the History of Science Museum) and numerous community groups (including Multaka-Oxford, Oxford’s Windrush communities and LGBTQ+ groups) to produce a series of inspiring son et lumière displays; light and sound spectacles that illuminate the outside of some of Oxford's most iconic buildings and bring community stories and the partner institutions' collections to life. These shows are free and accessible to all.

Not only are these displays pioneering audiovisual feats but they have also helped democratise access to and engagement with collections housed in Oxford’s historic institutions and museums. The project has also had numerous benefits for Oxford’s communities, helping often marginalised groups feel that their experiences and stories have a valid place and platform within the city.

The project seeks to literally illuminate the museums’ collections and archives for the public to admire, bringing hidden collections into the public domain in the form of colourful light designs projected onto the museum's facades. In preparation for the events, Luxmuralis has worked closely with Multaka-Oxford to identify what parts of the hidden collections to choose and determine which were of greatest significance to them. The objects chosen were brought to life through the light show, prompting the viewers to consider the modern and historical research concerns they raise.

By creating unique, free and accessible encounters with the collections, these shows have managed to expose the museums in new ways, bringing their stories to the public and compelling passers-by to engage with histories that have for so long remained hidden.

Other works by Luxmuralis include: Poppy Field which toured Cathedrals around the UK; Lichtfestival in Limburg Germany; Earth What a Wonderful World, Lichfield Cathedral; The Maker of Middle Earth, Bodleian Libraries. Their portfolio, which includes a plethora of other light and sound events across the UK and abroad can be found here.

Read more about the light and sound events on the Pitt Rivers Museum Education Blog.

Illuminating the Museum is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and every year is part of the Oxford Light Festival, which is produced by Oxford City Council and a range of partner institutions.