Treasured buildings 
are being seen in a new light

Attractions will open their doors after dark to give visitors a chance to see them in a new way at a series of events.

Illuminating York, which runs until Saturday, will see buildings including Castle Howard and the Crown Court building in York lit up against the dark skies. In Whitby, English Heritage is also illuminating the town’s famous abbey.

Hidden Worlds, one of the attractions for Illuminating York, created by Seeper, is a 3D projection-mapped animation billed as a journey into the microscopic and the unconscious hidden worlds of York’s own John Snow, the 19th century physician who not only discovered how cholera spread but also went on to pioneer the use of anaesthetics during surgery.

Coloured projections, candles and “living portraits” will also cast a new light on Castle Howard in Yorkshire, the world famous stately home known from Brideshead Revisited and other screen productions, takes part in the Illuminating York festival for the first time this year.

York Council’s cabinet member for leisure, culture and tourism, Coun Sonja Crisp, said: “One of the things that makes this Festival so special is how the city’s visitor attractions join in so wholeheartedly to create such a diverse and engaging event right across the city.”

Now in its ninth year, the full programme of all the artworks taking part in Illuminating York is available at www.illuminatingyork.org.

Whitby Abbey is being illuminated until Saturday between 6pm and 8.30pm. English Heritage said costumed characters will introduce the abbey’s darker side to visitors with presentations on grave robbing and witch trials.