Shine On Goole

This free, family-friendly event, organised by East Riding of Yorkshire Council as part of the busy programme planned to mark Goole’s 200th birthday year, is set to illuminate some of the town’s best known landmarks.

Taking place on the evenings of Thursday 19 and Friday 20 March, from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, Shine On Goole will see St John’s Parish Church become the backdrop for a breath-taking, music-led projection show entitled A Port In Green Fields, which will transform the Grade II-listed structure into a ‘ship of stories’, taking audiences on a voyage through 200 years of history. 

Billed as a ‘collage of archive, illustration and light’, the six-minute show will be split into minute-long chapters, each of which will cover a different period in the town’s history, from its transition from marshland to the Company Town of the Aire and Calder Navigation Company, its ’age of sail’ and era of coal, steam and Tom Puddings right through to the present day. The show, which will be repeated on a loop during both evenings to allow as many people as possible to enjoy it, will also offer a glimpse into Goole’s increasingly bright future as an investment hotspot and hub for green industry. The projection show is being developed by Focal Studios, an innovative audiovisual design and technology consultancy specialising in immersive visual experiences. 

Families will also be able to enjoy a new sound and light installation entitled And…Breathe by Pif-Paf, a highly-acclaimed visual and physical theatre company. And…Breathe explores breath, breathing alone and breathing together. Described as a tactile piece, it promotes interaction and mindfulness, encouraging audiences to stay a while and enjoy a fully immersive experience, and use their breath to interact with the lights and sound. This striking installation will be located in the vicinity of St John’s Parish Church and comprises a structure sculpted from steam-bent Ash, brought to life by integrated light and sound.

Visitors to the town centre will also see a mesmerising piece of street theatre called Spark by Worldbeaters Music, which combines high-impact drumming with kaleidoscopic lighting design. Ethereal, playful characters use captivating and dramatic music to interact with the crowd and lead spectators on a spell-binding journey.

In addition to the elements of the event taking place around St John’s Parish Church on Church Street in the town centre, Shine On Goole will also see the the town’s iconic water towers – a much-loved landmark known locally as the ‘salt and pepper pots’ – bathed in coloured light, creating a striking spectacle that will be visible from across the town and for miles beyond.

Councillor Nick Coultish, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, said: “I’m very much looking forward to Shine On Goole, which is a free, family-friendly event taking place in the heart of our town, with St John’s Parish Church as its focal point. We’re very grateful to St John’s Parish Church and Associated British Ports for their support, as well as Goole Museum and the many local groups and organisations that have helped us to plan and stage this exciting event.

“Together with the parish church, the water towers are among the town’s best-known landmarks and, because of their vast scale, can be seen from far and wide, so I’m delighted that they too will be bathed in light on the evenings of 19 and 20 March, ensuring that Goole really is shining bright in its 200th Birthday year!”

Important information for those attending Shine On Goole:

• Shine On Goole will take place on Church Street, Goole (DN14 5BA), where St John’s Parish Church will be the focal point and there will be a viewing area for those attending.
• The will be NO public access to the area around the base of the water towers, but this element of the event will be visible from across the town and beyond so can be enjoyed from a distance.
• Car parking is available at Estcourt Street (DN14 5AE); Wesley Square (DN14 5EZ); Goole Station (DN14 5RT); Burlington Crescent (DN14 5RE) and near East Riding Leisure Goole (DN14 6UF). These car parks are all just a short walk away, but please be aware that charges may apply, depending on the time of day vehicles are parked.
• Visitors are reminded to wear warm, weather-appropriate attire as this is an outdoor event.
• Friendly and helpful event stewards provided by HEY Volunteering will be on hand to signpost people to the event; look out for them in their blue uniforms.
• The event is all on one level and fully accessible, but visitors are reminded that it’s taking place after dark and some elements will be bright and noisy. Matting will be in place to make the ground around the church more even and less slippery.
• There are fully accessible toilet facilities within the Spire Centre (opposite the church) and the public toilets on Estcourt Street will also be open.
• Free refreshments will be available in the Spire Centre (opposite the church), but donations will be accepted on behalf of its Community Hub Project.
• Town centre pubs, restaurants, takeaways and eateries will also be open for refreshments.