Illuminate Bermondsey & Rotherhithe 2025

Lanterns were made at free workshops in local schools, libraries and community centres during October and November 2025 for a spectacular lantern procession from The Blue Market to Southwark Park Bandstand on on Friday 21st November 2025.

Illuminate Bermondsey & Rotherhithe helped 500 people to make 125 lanterns across a total of 21 workshops during October and November 2025. 250+ people attended the lantern procession from The Blue Market Place to Southwark Park at 5pm on Friday 21 November 2025. Many more people watched the procession pass from homes and businesses. Local traders at The Blue Market Place stayed open late to provide hot food while the procession assembled, feeding participants and supporting the local economy. The procession was led by St Michael’s College Samba Band, with a centrepiece 5-metre-tall lighthouse lantern that transformed into a goose, designed and built by volunteers at The Shed at London Bubble in Rotherhithe. Music was performed at the bandstand by Daren Callow and Frog Morris, with sound support provided by Unity Arts Music Trust. Patrickson Obanya supplied four security operatives with SIA, CSAS, and First Aid training to support our team of ten locally recruited stewards. All stewards and workshop assistants were recruited locally and paid above the London Living Wage, providing employment and valuable work experience. The largest proportion of our funding was spent on participatory activities, including workshop facilitators, materials, support staff, and venue hire, enabling local people to make their own lanterns for the parade. Our team of artists dedicated their project time to supporting local people to create original, community-led content for the festival. Events were highly local and accessible, 79% of attendees lived in Southwark, with 77% of attendees travelling on foot and only 9% by car reducing traffic and supporting neighbourhoods. Participants developed creative skills, confidence, and wellbeing through hands-on lantern-making workshops. 

People liked :
“The community lights!”
“Fully hands on. Everyone could take part.”
“The quality ofthe work produced”
“Interactive, inclusive and incredibly creative”
“Feeling of belonging”
“Workingtogether as a team meeting new people”
“Culture all together” 

Feedback results
98% felt part of the community 
89% said they met new people
100% would come again

Thanks for making lanterns with us!

• Blue Anchor Library
• The Blue Market
• St James Primary School
• Cherry Gardens TRA
• Riverside Primary School
• Wade Hall
• St Josephs Gomm Road
• Albion Primary School
• City of London Acacdemy
• Bede House
• Galleywall Primary School
• Appleby Blue
• 16th Bermondsey Scouts
• 20th Bermondsey Scouts
• Sands Films
• Big Local Works
• Grove Park Carnival
• London Bubble
• Light Whale International
• The Traders at The Blue for staying open late

Thanks to our funders

• Southwark Council Cultural Celebration Fund
• Blue Bermondsey BID
• Rotherhithe Consolidated Charities

Special Thankyou

Mr Laurence and the Samba Band from St Micheal College

Annie at Southwark Event Team

Patrickson for security

Stepen Pierre & UMAT for sounds

Pedro, Paul, Harry, Ben and Daniel for helping do the stewarding and infrastructure and all or stewards and volunteers.

Annabel Stockman, Larry Broomhead and Cathy Wren who set up the original Illuminate Rotherhithe Lantern Parade

Ben at Blue Bermondsey BID and Sarah Sparkes and Jo McCorrmick at Collaborative Arts for reading my funding applications.

Jonathan Ben Saul and all the team at Light Whale International

Lantern Makers Gail Dickerson, Jo McCorrmick, Sarah Sparkes, Lauraine, Alice and Martha

Rotherhithe Shed at London Bubble for building the Goose Lighthouse Lantern

The keeper of the light and the music Daren Callow!