The Dreamy Place Festival will light up Brighton & Hove and Crawley this October with a spectacular combination of high-powered lasers, interactive holograms, and creative workshops. Over two weekends, the festival will transform familiar spaces and illuminate hidden ones, featuring artists from around the world alongside local talent. Most of the events are free to the public.
“We’ll be transforming familiar spaces and lighting up hidden places,” said Jamie Wyld, Director of videoclub, the organisation producing the festival. “Dreamy Place is all about collective experiences and encouraging people to think about how new creative technologies can arouse curiosity and spark creativity.”
Guest Curator Lexi Zelda Stevens added, “Many of the artworks in this year’s festival connect the ancient past with the future through playful use of cutting-edge technology. The artists’ interests span the contemplation and celebration of light in ancient civilisations, to magic, witchcraft, and collaboration – between non-humans and ordinary members of the community.”
Dreamy Place Highlights
- Crawley: Friday 4 – Sunday 6 October
- Vessels by Limbic Cinema: Pyramid light sculptures in Queens Square using lasers and smoke to create vivid 3D forms inspired by ancient monuments.
- Dewiniaith by Megan Broadmeadow: Interactive holograms at Crawley Bandstand combining Welsh folklore with AI and video technology. Megan asks, “What happens when the old meets the new? What magic will we rely on in the future, and who will be practising it?”
- Dream World Creative Workshops: Workshops for young people using 3D pens and iPads to explore creativity and space travel.
- Artists’ Talks & Workshops: A series of talks on creative technology, including AI in art and project design.
- Outdoor Film Projections: Films by local filmmakers projected throughout Crawley town centre on 5 October.
- Brighton & Hove: Friday 25 – Sunday 27 October
- Ammonite by Collectif Scale: A light and music installation in the Cab Road tunnel that gives the illusion of organic movement, evoking a prehistoric shell.
- V1: Content Aware by Felicity Hammond: An installation in Jubilee Square exploring the relationship between geological and data mining.
- Imagining Otherwise by Flexer & Sandiland: A digital dance performance exploring the consequences of everyday decisions.
- Film Trails: Film screenings in collaboration with Oska Bright Film Festival and Carousel, highlighting the work of learning-disabled artists.
- Days of Wonder Weekender: A hands-on family event at Hove Museum featuring optical toys and analogue technology.
- Transmission by Tewa Barnosa: An audiovisual portal at Gallery Lock-in exploring language and heritage through AI, by Libyan artist Tewa Barnosa.
- Asian Futurism Talks: Talks about creative technology and Asian heritage, on 27 October at The Old Market.
Visit dreamy-place.com for more information.
