AN illuminated homage to one of England’s most magnificent birds has been unveiled on the banks of the River Wear.

The silver heron was lit up last night at Freeman’s Reach, in Durham City, to mark one year until the return of its festival of light, Lumiere.

Created by artist Jon Voss and debuted at the 2017 festival, the installation next to Milburngate Bridge will remain as a permanent public sculpture.

The unveiling was followed by a launch of Lumiere 2019 - set to be the most ambitious edition to date - which will mark ten years since the festival first launched in 2009.

Simon Henig, leader of Durham County Council, which commissions the festival, said: ​“Lumiere has been really important for County Durham over the past ten years, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and bringing millions of pounds into the economy.

“I am very much looking forward to Lumiere 2019​, which promises to be another spectacular event. Although the programme has yet to be announced, Heron is the perfect reminder of what we can expect next year.” Visitors to the 2019 anniversary edition can expect to see exciting new commissions created by UK and international artists, alongside some of the festival’s most memorable installations from the past decade.

Helen Marriage, director of Artichoke, arts charity and festival producer, said: ​“It’s exciting to be planning for this tenth anniversary edition and I’m especially looking forward to selecting my ‘Director’s Cut’ from previous festivals.

“Over the last decade, around 150 artworks made by hundreds of artists and technicians have created a magical journey of discovery through the cityscape, involving thousands of community participants”. 

The festival, which contributes significantly to the local economy, experienced a record 240,000 visitors in 2017 across an expanded footprint, with more than half of the installations located outside the central peninsula area.  

The programme is under wraps for now but all will be revealed when the biennial ​festival returns from November 14 to 17 next year.

For more information and to keep up to date, sign up to the newsletter at the newly-revamped website at lumiere-festival.com