LOCAL people are set to play a leading role in art installations which will be taking over Durham for four days this autumn as part of the UK’s largest light festival.

Some of the city’s best known buildings will be lit up with specially commissioned work as part of this year’s Lumiere festival, which takes place from November 16-19.

Arts charity Artichoke, which is producing the event for Durham County Council, has given a sneak peak of some of the programme.

Among the pieces announced so far is a celebration of public sector workers, which will feature local firefighters, refuse collectors, teachers and police officers and will be projected on the facade of the Miners’ Hall at Redhills.

An installation at Durham Castle, by British artist Hannah Fox, will also feature local people aged between five and 78, who have been recruited from the community to have their unique facial characteristics captured digitally and used to animate a hand drawn illustration.

At Durham Cathedral, Spanish artist Pablo Valbuena will be illuminating the iconic landmark with an installation inspired by bell-ringing.

It will include music developed by the bell team at the cathedral and will be played by ringing teams from across the UK.

Artichoke producer Kate Harvey said:“It’s exciting to be able give a small taster of the 2017 festival programme with these three stunning new commissions for three iconic Durham locations. All the more so because they each involve local people in the making of great art.

“From bellringers to the public sector, from schools workshops to local talent selected under the BRILLIANT commissioning scheme, this year’s Lumiere programme will bring artists together with the public in very many ways.”

Simon Henig, leader of Durham County Council, said: “The community outreach work which is central to Lumiere is something we are particularly proud of.

“It ensures that people across our county and from all backgrounds and age groups are touched by what is a truly world class event.”

This is the fifth time Lumiere, which started in Durham in 2009, has been held in Durham, last time attracting more than 200,000 visitors.

As in previous years the central Peninsula area will be ticketed between 4.30pm and 7.30pm to help manage the crowd.

The full programme for Lumiere 2017 will be announced in October, when tickets go on sale.