Graduate Producer Maria-Magdalena Mineva has been working with the Arches Festivals team since December and tells us about her experience of the City’s first Light Night festival.

Working with Severn Arts as part of the Arches Festivals has been an incredible experience – every day I’m learning something new. I am accumulating skills which I can use to further and continue my career in producing, and for a new graduate like me having the opportunity to work on festivals of such scale is rare. Light Night Worcester met and exceeded my expectations.

I remember one moment near the beginning of Light Night standing between the Guildhall and Copenhagen Street ; it felt so surreal to be able to look one way down the high street and see illumaphonium –and then glance the other way and see glimpses of the lit-up see-saws on Cathedral Square and think “Wow! All these high-quality art installations in Worcester!” I was a part of this and helped make it happen.

My favourite memory was when I saw a family all in their pyjamas on the see-saws. It turned out that their neighbour had been to Light Night and messaged the mum to say “you have to come down here and check this out” so the family who were ready for bed rushed out to make sure they had a turn on the see-saws! It is a key part of what we are trying to do creating fleeting, magical moments, which you wouldn’t otherwise get to experience outside of a festival!

The team has grown so much with the addition of our two apprentices. I’m really looking forward to when we have our next event!