University Zone
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28. Symbiosis
Artist: Livi Smith (UK)
stage@leeds, Cromer Road, University of Leeds Campus, LS2 9JW
W3W: castle.train.nerve
PROJECTION | SCIENCE | BIOMATTER
Enter the hidden world of bacteria and yeast as microscopic organisms vibrate, shift and move in symbiotic harmony. Large-scale video projections reveal life beyond the limits of the human eye, showing how different organisms work together to create SCOBY, a naturally occurring fermented biomaterial. Audio recordings made from the fermenting SCOBY deepen the installation’s sense of wonder and intrigue. By bringing these usually invisible relationships into view, Symbiosis asks what humans might learn from cooperation within the biological world.
Credits:
Livi Smith (lead artist), lighting design collaborator Callie O’Brien and support from the Bio-imaging & Flow Cytometry Facility, University of Leeds.
This student commission is possible thanks to the generous donations by the thousands of alumni and supporters of the University who have donated to the Footsteps Fund.
This installation was produced by the Cultural Institute, University of Leeds
29. Paradise Carpet
Artist: Zarah Hussain (UK)
stage@leeds, Cromer Road, University of Leeds Campus, LS2 9JW
W3W: castle.train.nerve
INSTALLATION | INTERACTIVE | SOUND
Slip off your shoes, rest a while and feel the carpet beneath your toes as geometric forms bloom all around you. This mesmerising installation creates an ever-changing carpet of light, weaving intricate pattern with the calming qualities of colour and sound. Zarah Hussain brings the rich visual history of Islamic carpets into conversation with contemporary digital art, celebrating migration, cross-cultural connection and our shared humanity. The artist has created a new design for Light Night Leeds 2026 that is inspired by Pakistani Ajrakh floor coverings held in the University of Leeds International Textile Collection.
Credits:
For Light Night Leeds 2026, Zarah Hussain has created a new design, inspired by the Pakistani Ajrakh floor coverings in the International Textile Collection held in the University's Cultural Collections International Textile Collection | Special Collections | Library | University of Leeds
30. The Space Between the Lights
Artist: Cultural Institute and Sustainability Team, University of Leeds (UK)
Outside stage@leeds, Cromer Road, University of Leeds Campus, LS2 9JW
W3W: throw.economies.cage
NATURE | SOUND | TRAIL
Listen closely and seek out some of the creatures that make the University campus their home. From its famous peregrine falcons to blackbirds, bats and hedgehogs, this atmospheric sound trail reveals the surprising richness of wildlife living alongside students, staff and visitors. Discover who is active after dark, how different species navigate the night and what happens when light after dark interrupts their natural rhythms. The Space Between the Lights invites us to experience our surroundings from another perspective and consider how we might share it more thoughtfully. Take home ideas about helping nature at night in your own garden.
Credits:
Words: Greengage
Idea: Michael Howroyd
Voiceover: Grace Wilkinson
Production, mixing, and mastering: Emma Ratyal-Brooks
This installation was produced by the Cultural Institute, University of Leeds
31. Be Curious
Artist: Be Curious (UK)
Riley Smith Theatre, Leeds University Union, LS2 9JZ
W3W: shins.report.bland
ACTIVITY | RESEARCH | MAKING
Be Curious is back! Join us for a fun-filled evening of hands-on (and indoor!) activities for the whole family. Meet real researchers and see how their research, happening right here in Leeds, is helping to shape the world around us.
32. Komorebi
Artist: Melissa Nesbitt and Amy Jamieson (UK)
Near The Plaza, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
W3W: notice.trio.unrealistic
NATURE | LIGHT | SHADOW
Walk among dappled light and shifting shadows in this tranquil installation inspired by Komorebi, the Japanese word for sunlight filtering through trees. Fabric lanterns decorated with cyanotype silhouettes float overhead, capturing the effect of sunrays dancing through leaves. Around them, folds of sheer fabric glow with changing colours, gently enveloping the space and creating a sense of movement. Pause for a moment, reconnect with nature and enjoy a playful evocation of the light, shade and quiet wonder found beneath a leafy canopy.
Credits:
This student commission is possible thanks to the generous donations by the thousands of alumni and supporters of the University who have donated to the Footsteps Fund.
This installation was produced by the Cultural Institute, University of Leeds
33. Luminous Birds
Artist: Kathy Hinde (UK)
Near The Plaza, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
W3W: soup.folds.noted
BIRDS | STOP-MOTION | INSTALLATION
A radiant flock takes flight through the arches. Suspended overhead, origami-style birds are brought to life by synchronised light and sound, with each set of wings folded at a slightly different angle to create the illusion of stop-motion animation. Spatialised sounds of distorted pianos and bells ripple through the installation as the birds appear to move together. Inspired by the astonishing choreography of flocking, Luminous Birds celebrates cooperation, collective movement and one of the natural world’s most mesmerising spectacles.
Originally commissioned by Kidderminster Arts Festival in 2015, with development and sound commissioned by Cryptic in 2016.
34. Wondering the City
Artist: Verity Hannaway-Mackay (UK)
Calm Zone, Precinct, University of Leeds Campus, LS2 9JS
W3W: exile.exile.precautions
CITYSCAPE | PLAYFUL | ARCHITECTURE
Move between the high-rise buildings of Leeds in a tactile installation that plays with light, form and colour. Inspired by traditional magic-lantern shows, Wondering the City transforms the familiar skyline into an illuminated world of exploration. Look through a range of translucent images, and place them within the tower-like structures. Playful and hands-on, the artwork invites visitors of all ages to rearrange the view, discover unexpected perspectives and imagine the city afresh.
Credits:
This student commission is possible thanks to the generous donations by the thousands of alumni and supporters of the University who have donated to the Footsteps Fund.
This installation was produced by the Cultural Institute, University of Leeds
35. Gaia and Maia
Artist: Bev Adams Arts (UK)
Precinct, University of Leeds Campus, LS2 9JS
W3W: hoping.spoon.starts
WALKABOUT | PUPPETRY | NATURE
A glowing giant and her small human companion share playful stories of care and connection with our living Earth. Created by Bev Adams Arts with Kerith Ogden and Thingumajig Theatre, Gaia is an awe-inspiring Earth Mother, while Maia is her curious and engaging guide. Through spectacular walkabout puppetry and warm, playful storytelling, they invite us to think about climate change, reconnect with the natural world and discover how small acts of care can help shape the future of our shared planet.
Credits:
Conceived by Bev Adams and inspired by the Gaia hypothesis developed by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis; part of Bev’s PhD research into street-theatre puppetry and climate-change communication
Created with support from the University of Leeds Cultural Institute, Engagement Team, School of Performance and Cultural Industries, and The John Hodgson Theatre Research Trust
Supported by donations from University of Leeds alumni and supporters through the Footsteps Fund
Part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2026, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
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36. Scores for Walking
Artist: J.R. Carpenter (UK)
Beech Grove House, The Precinct, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
W3W: region.calms.liked
TEXT | PERFORMANCE | NATURE
Journey through the Yorkshire Dales in a new way with J.R. Carpenter’s constantly evolving text-based projection. Generated by the artist’s online writing machine, a fresh performance prompt appears every six seconds. Observations of the natural world mingle with walking actions and the sensations of moving through a landscape, inviting you to pause, imagine and respond. Each fleeting combination offers a different route through the Dales, turning words into an open-ended score for movement, attention and discovery.
37. The Clothworkers Yarn
Artist: Hannah Fox, Dan Fox and Bob Fisher (UK)
Clothworkers Court, University of Leeds Campus, LS2 3AR
W3W: ranks.decreased.pound
SHADOW | PROJECTION | NATURE
Two shadow carousels cast a magical, folkloric parade across the walls of Clothworkers Court. Lit from within, their intricate fretwork cylinders slowly turn, sending hot-air balloons, woodland animals, mythical characters and circus scenes drifting through the space. Chimes and birdsong drawn from Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols accompany the silhouettes as their stories unfold. Playful, mysterious and richly atmospheric, the installation responds to Quite Shameless, an exhibition exploring vampires at The Treasures of the Brotherton.
Credits:
Images: Hannah Fox
Carousel design: Dan Fox and Bob Fisher
Music: interlude from Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, arranged by Dan Fox
Originally commissioned by the National Trust for Winter at Sizergh.
38. Astralis ‘Of the Stars’
Artist: Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and School of Design
Sign for Art, The Plaza, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
W3W:poetic.lake.corn
PERFORMANCE | MUSIC | SPECTACLE
Performance Times 7pm, 8pm, 9pm
Look to the stars as Greek mythology is reimagined through carnival, dance, music and light. Performed by the Boyz group at RJC Dance, Astralis ‘Of the Stars’ brings celestial warriors and scorpions into the crowd in illuminated costumes created through a collaboration of artists, engineers and designers. Dynamic choreography turns stories written in the night sky into a vibrant live spectacle, exploring humanity’s enduring fascination with the cosmos and the connections between people, nature, creativity and technology.
Credits:
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and School of Design technical teams, Briony Thomas, RJC Dance Boyz group, Nillanthie Morton, High Esteem Carnival Designs, Angel Foster, Luke Tyson and Owen Jeffers
39. The Heat Beneath Our Feet
Artist: Lynn Wray and Rebecca Smith (UK)
Outside Edward Boyle Library, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
W3W: relate.shirt.body
IMMERSIVE | PROJECTION | SOUNDSCAPE
Step across a dynamic floor projection revealing the glowing pathways and changing textures beneath our feet. Ancient geological layers shift through space and time, tracing the movement of heat and water through rock and showing how a new shallow geothermal network could help warm and cool homes and public buildings across Leeds. Sonic interpretations of seismic data, subtle underground vibrations and musical harmonies accompany the evolving visuals, creating an immersive journey into the rhythms, forces and hidden potential of the Earth’s interior.
Part of Stories from the Subsurface and Geothermal Campus and City, funded by Geosolutions Leeds
Funded through the University of Leeds Climate Plan by the Sustainability Services Living Lab Programme
Part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2026, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). .jpg)
40. It’s About Time
Artist: Paul Miller, Northern School of Contemporary Dance and University of Leeds School of Music (UK)
School of Music, 12 Cavendish Road, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
W3W: able.shave.tame
PROJECTION | MUSIC | PERFORMANCE
Past, present and future overlap in this immersive, projection-mapped dance installation at Clothworkers Concert Hall. Original music by School of Music students meets poetry, choreography and moving image, creating layered timelines where shared memories collide with dreams of what might come next. Performers become living screens as projected imagery and flowing text travel across bodies and architecture. Exploring ecological change, social upheaval and collective hope, It’s About Time asks us to consider humanity’s choices while celebrating our capacity for imagination and resilience.
Credits:
Producer: Dan Merrick
Visuals: Paul Miller
Choreography: Amaury Lebrun, Northern School of Contemporary Dance
Performance: BA Contemporary Dance Year 3 students
Music: School of Music composition students
Text: J.R. Carpenter and Poetry@Leeds.
41. What We Leave Behind
Artist: Lou Chapelle (France/UK)
Outside School of Music, 12 Cavendish Road, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
W3W: fence.owls.eagles
HOLOGRAPH | WOODLAND | CHORAL
Swirling through delicate greenhouse-like structures, holographic leaves hover in the air. They evoke the soil’s remarkable capacity to heal when it is given space, shelter and ongoing care. Lou Chapelle’s poetic installation responds to Gair Wood, the University of Leeds’ ‘woodland of the future’, where 60,000 trees form a living laboratory for ecological research and renewal. A choral soundtrack, recorded with Opera North Young Voices and Youth Chorus, sings this new woodland into being as a future home for hundreds of plant and animal species.
Credits:
Sound designer: Fiona McNeill
Sound composition: Lou Chapelle and Opera North Young Voices and Youth Chorus
Research: Dr Cat Scott and Dr Thomas Sloan, with Dr Robin Hayward and the Gair Wood team
Co-commissioned by the Cultural Institute at the University of Leeds and Wigan Light Night. Part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2026, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
42. We Are Stardust
Artist: Daksha Patel (UK)
Laidlaw Library, University of Leeds Campus, LS2 9JT
W3W: pads.spare.minus
SOUND | PROJECTION | ASTROPHYSICS
Look into the dazzling world of galaxies and stars through this light projection and original soundtrack. As two galaxies merge, intense starbursts create the conditions in which new elements, including carbon, the basis of life on Earth, can form. Dynamic particle simulations bring the birth of planets to life, while images from scientist Florence Bell’s notebooks and thesis connect cosmic discovery with pioneering research held in the University’s Cultural Collections. We Are Stardust captures the wonder of the night sky and invites us to reflect on our own place within the universe.
Credits:
Inspired by research by Dr Alison Young, Stephen Hawking Fellow, Conall Kavanagh, PhD researcher in the School of Physics and Astronomy, and Adam Koval, PhD, University of Edinburgh
Funded by Cultural Collections and Galleries and University of Leeds Libraries.
43. Ready to Shine
Artist: Opera North (UK)
Brotherton Library, Parkinson Building, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
w3w.reply.pill.indeed
MUSIC | CHOIR | PERFORMANCE
Performance Times – 6.30pm, 7pm, 7.30pm, 8pm
The Brotherton Library sets the scene for the rejuvenating sounds of Opera North Young Voices and Youth Chorus as they present an inspiring performance filled with energy and hope. For this year’s Light Night, the groups, directed by Alison McNeill, perform two contrasting choral pieces. Ready to Shine is an uplifting anthem by Pete Gold celebrating self-belief, individuality and the courage to be your true self. Jim Papoulis’ joyous song, Sih’r Khalaq (Arabic for “Magic of Creation”), draws on Middle Eastern musical traditions and languages that remind us of our shared humanity and connections to the world around us.
Credits:
The Opera North Youth Company is generously supported by the late John Barchard and Dr. Claire Barchard, the Dare Partnership, Derek Hill Foundation, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation, The Whitaker Charitable Trust, and The Keith Howard Foundation.
Produced by the Cultural Institute at the University of Leeds and Opera North
44. Kala
Artist: SAA-uk (UK)
Parkinson Court, University of Leeds Campus, LS2 9HB
W3W: fines.modest.hike
DANCE | HISTORY | LIGHT
Performance times – 6.45pm, 7.15pm, 7.45pm, 8.15pm, 8.45pm
Kala is an immersive performance - The starting point of this work was a piece of text commissioned by SAA UK. The work is conceived as a letter exploring South Asian identity, migration and belonging through migrants setting up a new base and rediscovering the feeling of ‘Home’. The work dwells on the ideas of staying rooted whilst feeling disconnected, of finding points of contact and acquainting with new identities and purposes. Based on the movement pedagogies of Contemporary Dance and Bharathanatyam, it’s an attempt to bring two worlds together as has the stories of millions of migrants over the years.
Drawing on the history of Leeds' South Asian communities, the piece reflects on the complexities of building a sense of home while navigating a society that does not always accept you as belonging. It asks what we carry with us when we leave home, what we lose along the way, and what it means to find belonging between cultures.
Credits:
Creative Team:
Produced by: SAA-uk
Creative Director & Project Lead
Orisa Pather (SAA-uk HeadStart Trainee) and Akshay Sharma
Performers
Meghna Lokabhirama Nandini Raju
Akshay Sharma
Creative Technologists
Cara Proud (Technologica Collective)
Emir Johnston (Technologica Collective)
Composition Title
In a Land Far Away: An Immigrant's Story
Original Composition:
Artistic and Music Director: Prathap Ramachandra
Associate Artistic Director: Nigel Thavasi
Music & Arrangement: B C Manjunath, Abhimanya Shreekanth
Mixing Engineer: Adil Nadaf
45. Creatures of the Night
Artist: Leeds International Piano Competition (UK)
Treasures of the Brotherton, Parkinson Building, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT
W3W: fines.modest.hike
MUSIC | PERFORMANCE | LIGHTING
An evening of otherworldly, nocturnal and Gothic piano music exploring vampires, creatures of the night and the supernatural. Light and sound swirl through the space as performers Keano Ritchie and Cleve Freckleton, create an atmosphere that is eerie, playful and immersive. Experience the music however you choose: recline on a beanbag, sit, stand, wander or dance. Inspired by the nearby exhibition Quite Shameless: Cultural Reflections on the Vampire, this relaxed performance invites you to embrace the mysterious and discover what stirs after darkness falls.
Produced for Leeds by the Cultural Institute with the International Piano Competition
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46. STRINGED
Artist: Gijs van Bon (Netherlands)
Future National Poetry Centre (Trinity St David’s), LS2 3AR
W3W: length.analogy.hang
POETRY | ARCHITECTURE | PROJECTION
Watch words emerge from waves of animated light, appearing to float and scatter through the air. Flowing around the future National Poetry Centre’s striking Gothic architecture, luminous letters gather into sentences that share stories of nature, seasons and our changing environment. Created by Dutch artist Gijs van Bon, STRINGED transforms poetry into a shifting visual experience. Pause as language forms, dissolves and reforms, inviting you to encounter familiar words afresh and consider how stories can connect people, place and the natural world.
Credits:
Words by poets working with the National Poetry Centre
Part of the Seasons of Culture Programme 2026
Funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Produced by the Cultural Institute, University of Leeds with the National Poetry Centre