WITH four world premieres, a European premiere and a raft of newly commissioned works, the Light Up Poole festival puts the town in the twin spotlights of art and science.

The festival (February 21-23) marks the first participation of cutting edge French engineering company Minuit Une as sponsor for the premiere of Harbour Glow, an ambitious site-specific work that will see Poole’s dockside and cranes illuminated by moving light.

Harbour Glow has been created by James Smith, a Poole-based international lighting designer, and local Wolf Lighting with festival directors Audacious supported by Poole Harbour Commissioners.

“We’re bringing the dock to life,” says James. “It is very much a working dock and quite beautiful in its own way, but we’re using colour to change how we see the dock, to bring some magic to the space.

“We’ll be using the sky and the water surface so that it is as complete an immersive experience as it can be – we will literally make the harbour glow.”

After the success of his playful piece Juxtapose last year, Bournemouth University graduate Ashley Wilkie has brought it back alongside the first showing of his new work Ebbs and Flows which uses the iconic Guildhall, as a backdrop to a journey across the world’s oceans.

Justin Hundley-Appleton manager of Poole BID adds: “It’s incredibly exciting to have such high calibre artists in Poole premiering their work during the festival, and also for the science, technology and engineering companies to showcase cutting edge products for the first time.”