Newark Creates Brings the Heat to Market Place this March

Ignite: Fire, Flame and Frenzy will take place on Saturday 1 March, welcoming visitors to wander through a vista of flames and chemical reactions in Doctor Kronovator’s Fire Laboratory. Guests will be able to help the Doctor and his team prepare their experimental flame and steam-powered contraptions, try their luck at a test of strength machine and create chemical reactions in this fantastical evening of family fun.

Held in collaboration with Emergency Exit Arts and Lightfires, the main event will take place from 5.30pm to 8.30pm with last entry to the queue at 8pm to ensure everyone can enjoy the experience fully.

Alongside the Fire Laboratory, there will be complementary activities spreading the spectacle out around the Market Place and surrounding streets. A stunning LED Hoop Show will be roaming from 6.30pm to 7pm, followed by an amazing 5-minute show at 7.30pm on Church Street where acrobat performer Angie will leave audiences spellbound as she spins, twists and turns multiple hoops, leaving mesmerising trails of light.

A roving display of ornate colour and light will also come in the form of The Living Lamp-Posts. These enchanting and illuminating creations from Theatre Illumiere, standing at over ten feet tall, will be entertaining passers-by at half hour intervals between 6pm and 8.30pm.

Local organisations are getting involved too with a ‘Create Late’ at the National Civil War Centre from 5pm to 8.30pm where visitors will be able to help themselves to a vast array of recycled and scrap materials and tinker away in the Tudor Hall at twilight. Slightly earlier in the day, the team from St Mary Magdalene’s church will be getting everyone in the mood with some fantastic Medieval Stained Glass Making sessions. Led by an expert craftswoman from The Company of Artisans, the sessions will be held at Hope Community Methodist Church on Barnbygate, at 2pm and 3.45pm. Booking is essential as places are limited and free places can be reserved at newarkcreates.co.uk.

Those wishing to attend the evening in style can come along to free workshops in advance of the event to make beautiful, illuminated headdresses. Inspire at the Buttermarket will be hosting the sessions on Tuesday 18 February, from 10am to 1pm and from 1.30pm until 4.30pm, and on Wednesday 19 February at the same times, and participants aged 6+ will join local artist Emily Cartwright to make a fabulous light-up, flame inspired headdress. Free places can be booked by emailing sara.bullimore@inspireculture.org.uk with details of preferred session time, the number of places required and the ages of any children taking part.

Councillor Claire Penny, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Economic Development at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “After the success of the incredible A Likely Story projection on the Town Hall last November, which attracted over 3900 visitors, it’s wonderful to be seeing Newark Creates bring yet another landmark event to our town centre. This is a great opportunity to make memories together as a family and extend the evening to enjoy our brilliant local eateries too, or even invite family and friends from further afield to come and stay for the weekend to take advantage of everything our fantastic town has to offer.”

Newark Creates is a cultural programme led by Newark’s Cultural Consortium which has seen the curation of free arts and heritage activities across the town since 2021. Over the past year, the programme has been supported by Newark Town Board’s Newark Heart project, alongside the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, creating opportunities for more events than ever before.

Carol Newman, Director of Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries, the lead partner in the Consortium, said: “From bookbenches to Newark-on-Sea, a comedy juggling show, graffiti, the Festival of Creativity and now this stunning light and fire show, our Newark Creates programme over the past year has certainly been eclectic. Thousands of people of all ages have engaged with our activities and this is exactly what we are all about, encouraging creativity and bringing colour and fun to the heart of this wonderful town.”

Louise Casey-Simpson, Chair of the Newark Towns Fund, added: “Seeing Newark really come to life for these events has been wonderful. The turnout for A Likely Story was brilliant and I’m really excited to see the town centre benefit from this March event. It’s so important to create opportunities to encourage people into our town as there are so many amazing businesses here from great quality restaurants and pubs to fantastic independent retailers. This event will be a great chance to make a night of it and get a bite to eat too!”

For more information, and to stay informed about the latest event updates, follow NewarkCreatesUK on Facebook and visit www.newarkcreates.co.uk.