Creative Tech and Arts Take Centre Stage at Dreamy Place 2024
The Dreamy Place Festival, an immersive celebration of creative technology and art, is set to return to Crawley and Brighton & Hove this October. Over two extended weekends, this dynamic event will feature high-powered laser displays, enchanting holograms, and an interactive light and sound installation in an exclusive underground tunnel beneath Brighton Station. Dreamy Place 2024 will offer a unique fusion of innovation, art, and technology, aiming to spark creativity and curiosity among attendees.
A Showcase of Global and Local Talent
The festival will present works by internationally renowned artists alongside local talents, with most events free to the public. Jamie Wyld, Director of videoclub, the organisation producing the festival (formerly known as Brighton Digital Festival), emphasised the transformative nature of the event. “Dreamy Place is about collective experiences and inviting people to explore how emerging technologies can inspire creativity and curiosity. We’ll be lighting up hidden places and transforming familiar spaces,” said Wyld.
Bridging the Past and Future Through Art
Guest Curator Lexi Zelda Stevens highlighted the festival’s diverse artistic inspirations. Several artworks featured in Dreamy Place 2024 bridge the gap between ancient history and the future, blending creativity with cutting-edge technology in a playful and innovative manner. From reflections on the role of light in ancient cultures to themes of magic and witchcraft, these artworks represent a fascinating blend of collaboration between non-human and human elements,” Stevens explained.
Dreamy Place Highlights
Crawley: Friday 4th – Sunday 6th October
- Pyramid Light Sculptures
In Queens Square, visitors will encounter Vessels by Limbic Cinema, a stunning display of pyramid-shaped light sculptures that evoke the grandeur of ancient monuments. Utilising high-powered lasers and smoke, this installation reimagines how ancient people gathered to contemplate the sun, allowing attendees to experience vivid 3D laser forms close-up. - Interactive Holograms
Artist Megan Broadmeadow will enchant visitors at Crawley Bandstand with Dewiniaith (“Sorcery”), an interactive holographic experience blending Welsh folklore, AI, and cutting-edge video technology. Broadmeadow explores what magic will look like in the future, juxtaposing old-world traditions with new-age technological practices. - Dream World Creative Workshops
Exploring Senses will host workshops that guide young participants through the creative process, using 3D pens and iPads to build life forms and structures, embark on space adventures, and uncover hidden realms, all through digital drawing. - Outdoor Film Projections
In collaboration with CFI Media, Crawley town centre will be transformed into a canvas for outdoor film projections by local filmmakers on Saturday, 5th October.
Brighton & Hove: Friday 25th – Sunday 27th October
- Ammonite by Collectif Scale
Paris-based Collectif Scale will debut their immersive light and music installation, Ammonite, in the historic Cab Road tunnel under Brighton Station. This structure creates the illusion of organic movement, echoing the shape of prehistoric shells, and offers an otherworldly experience in an underground setting rarely accessible to the public. - V1: Content Aware by Felicity Hammond
This installation, housed in a shipping container in Jubilee Square, uses collage, AI, and data mining to explore the intersection of geology and digital imagery. Commissioned through the Ampersand/Photoworks Fellowship, V1: Content Aware delves into how photographic images are created and consumed in the digital age. - Imagining Otherwise by Flexer & Sandiland
South East Dance presents Imagining Otherwise, a digital dance installation blending rapid choreography with spoken word. This performance invites the audience to reflect on daily decisions and their impact on our futures, taking place on Saturday, 26th October. - Film Trails
Curated film trails across Brighton will showcase the work of learning-disabled artists and filmmakers in collaboration with the Oska Bright Film Festival and Carousel. - Days of Wonder Weekender at Hove Museum
This family-friendly event offers hands-on interaction with analogue tech, optical toys, and filmmaking, engaging curious minds in creative play with film and digital media. - Transmission by Tewa Barnosa
Libyan artist Tewa Barnosa will present her first UK solo exhibition at Gallery Lock-in, transforming the space into an audiovisual portal. Using AI, Transmission explores language, shared heritage, and the political forces that shape our world, offering audiences a journey through translation, misinformation, and communication. - Asian Futurism Talks
On Sunday, 27th October, discover how artists are using technology to reinterpret Asian heritage through discussions on Asian Futurism, held in collaboration with Platform Asia and 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art.
A Festival Not to Be Missed
The 2024 edition of Dreamy Place promises to be a boundary-pushing exploration of art, technology, and culture. Whether you are captivated by holograms, fascinated by AI, or simply looking for a new perspective on contemporary art, this festival offers something for everyone. Don’t miss this extraordinary celebration of creativity and innovation in Crawley and Brighton & Hove this October.
