Soho Kids Xmas Lights 2022
In 2022 we are building upon the success of the Soho Kids Xmas Lights 2021 project by continuing to collaborate with Soho Parish Primary School.
Antonio Capelao, architect and RIBA Architecture Ambassador, alongside with, Hannah Peaty, art lead at Soho Parish School, Sophie Draper, RIBA Learning, and Caroline Smith, The National Gallery are working with all 130 pupils to investigate the theme of Lighting and Identity of Place to design 14 new street lighting panels for Soho.
The project focus on facilitating to the local primary school pupils the experience to investigate the unique architecture and heritage of their local communities to enable them to design Christmas street lighting inspired by and for the streets of Soho, as well as for the entire community to engage and to reflect in the importance of the identity of a place and its development
The children’s designs were judged by a committee of local residents and businesses, Soho Primary School alumni students and art lead teacher, RIBA Learning, The National gallery, architects, designers, art curators, and local Councillor, and the 14 winning designs will be transformed into LED lighting designs by Blachere Illumination UK.
The project will provide an implicit experience of the power light has to bring the community together through a celebration of light, and the Christmas street lighting panels made by the pupils during the darkest months of the year.
As a fitting conclusion, the project will culminate in an event on the 9th November (time tbc) to give students the opportunity to showcase their design and creation skills that have been developed and explored during this program; and for RIBA Learning (The Royal Institute of British Architects) to award some of the students designs - the Lord Mayor of Westminster will be in attendance.
The 14 (plus the 2 commissioned by Bocca di Lupo) new street lighting panels will be exhibited alongside the 21 produced last year in the streets of Soho from the 10th of November 2022 until the 8th of January 2023.
Sponsors: Westminster City Council, Broadwick Soho, Bocca Di Lupo, Soda
Special thanks: Architecture for kids, Soho Parish Primary School, The National Gallery, RIBA Architecture.com, New London Architecture, Antonio Capelao Architecture, The Soho Society, Randall & Aubin, St. Anne’s Church Soho, Storm Flowers Garden, City Lions, Onward Display, Thames Levack, Equity in Lighting New York, Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section, Casa da Arquitectura, Blachere Illuminations UK.
See submissions from 2021 here.
Lights from 2021 can be seen here.
Banner image courtesy of Matt Crossick.
