YORK BID GROUP

‘Colour and Light’ at York Castle Museum

We celebrated York’s layered history, bringing to life a cast of characters, myths and moments drawn from across the city. With audiences in the tens of thousands across the event period, Colour & Light 2026 built on the success of previous years and pushed the format further than ever before.

HOW WE DID IT

Large-scale Projection Mapping Experience

We were proud to deliver Colour & Light 2026 in York, a large-scale projection mapping experience that transformed the historic Eye of York into a vibrant, immersive destination after dark. Commissioned by York BID and delivered in partnership with York Museums Trust and English Heritage, the event brought together two of the city’s most iconic landmarks—York Castle Museum and Clifford’s Tower—into a single, unified projection canvas for the very first time. This ambitious dual-surface approach allowed us to create a seamless visual dialogue between the buildings, turning the space into a fully choreographed storytelling environment that could be experienced from multiple vantage points.

Vikings, Roman Ghosts and Local Folklore

Creatively, the content celebrated York’s layered history, bringing to life a cast of characters, myths and moments drawn from across the city and wider Yorkshire region. From Viking legends and Roman ghosts to infamous historical figures and local folklore, the projection wove together storytelling and spectacle in a way that resonated with both residents and visitors. By animating these stories across two interconnected architectural surfaces, we were able to build scale, depth and continuity into the experience, creating moments that felt both intimate and epic.

Reimagining Public Spaces

Technically, the project required precise alignment and synchronisation across multiple projection points, ensuring that content flowed effortlessly between the two buildings despite their differing shapes, textures and distances. Careful planning and on-site calibration enabled us to maximise clarity and brightness while maintaining the integrity of the historic structures. The result was a cohesive, high-impact show that elevated the architecture while respecting its heritage.

With audiences in the tens of thousands across the event period, Colour & Light 2026 built on the success of previous years and pushed the format further than ever before. By combining creative storytelling, technical precision and a deep understanding of place, the project demonstrated how projection mapping can reimagine public spaces, turning familiar landmarks into unforgettable shared experiences.

Family-friendly Winter Attraction

Running nightly from 4th to 22nd February, the 10-minute show played on a continuous loop, welcoming audiences of all ages to enjoy a free, accessible cultural experience in the heart of the city. Designed as a family-friendly winter attraction, the projection combined bold, high-impact visual design with layered, story-driven content, carefully crafted to appeal to a broad audience. Through a rich interplay of light, animation and sound, the show brought York’s heritage vividly to life – encouraging visitors to rediscover familiar landmarks through a new lens. The result was an experience that felt both educational and entertaining, sparking curiosity, conversation and a deeper connection to the city’s past.

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