Lantern parade lights up the night in Wolverhampton
Residents of Whitmore Reans lit up the streets for the fourth annual lantern parade.
The event aims to highlight and celebrate the diversity, history and the good things that make up the area.
In the run up to the event, organisers received a funding from Arts Council England's National Lottery Projects Grants scheme which enabled them to work with new partners and expand the reach of the parade.
Adam Billington lead artist and creative director of Gatis Community Space said “Last year we successfully crowd funded the event and we are delighted that arts council have funded us this year.
“This really helps recognise local artists work in creating the lanterns and stories around our diverse and fascinating community.”
This year’s theme is the history of the area itself.
This year saw around 70 people take to the streets to light up the night with their colourful homemade lanterns.
Celebrations began at 5pm where crowds joined the parade to listen to stories and sing songs before being lead out to begin the parade.
This year's theme was a combination of Courtaulds factory site and the three sisters chimneys that over looked the factory site, the flower parades that happened from St Andrews Church and the Circus that was billeted in Whitmore Reans during the war.
The route took in three stops one at the library, one outside St Andrews Church and one on Glaisdale Gardnes giving a circular route starting and ending at Gatis Community Space
Residents were seen watching from windows and doors, taking photos and cheering the parade as it passed their homes.
A number of local artists, volunteers and craftspeople were involved to make the parade a success.
Maria Billington, Director of Gatis Community Space, said: "A huge thank you really must go to the volunteers who helped make it all happen, by tidying the site up, helping prepare the lighting and projection areas, drumming, taking photographs, carrying lanterns and being marshalls making sure everyone is safe.
"Without those people all coming together to get involved the parade would not happen."
