Soho unveils Soho Kids Xmas Lights
Light designed by Amaya age 8, Soho Parish Primary School
The Soho Kids Xmas Lights 2024, now in its 4th annual edition, have a strong community focused theme: lighting, identity of place and migration.
Soho Parish Primary School pupils, under the direction of Antonio Capelao, founder of award-winning Architecture for kids CIC, coproduced 6 new street lighting panels this year to add to the 49 designed in the three previous years – a total of 55 (and 2 commissions) luminescent installations are now lighting up the streets of Soho.
Amaya, aged 8, and Haoyang, also 8, said it was “exciting to see their light designs in the streets” and to see their drawings turned into Christmas lights in Soho. Isoul, aged 10, designed a boy skating while wearing a Christmas hat and chose four key colors to make the design stand out, including red and green, which are traditional Christmas colors. Ivy, aged 5, created a design inspired by the late Queen because she likes princesses and queens. Her work won an award from the Royal Institute of British Architects for demonstrating the most joyful engagement with the design brief.
Light designed by Isoul age 10, Soho Parish Primary School
Antonio Capelao, assisted by Hannah Peaty (Assistant Head, Soho Parish Primary School) and Sophie Draper (RIBA Interim Learning Manager), delivered a series of design workshops for the children to begin their journey as lighting designers. The workshops included a field visit to Soho Square, facilitated by Tia Shah, Learning Officer at the Migration Museum. During the visit, the pupils were introduced to concepts of the built environment and migration and learned about Soho's migration history and its role in shaping the local built environment.
Light designed by Haoyang age 8, Soho Parish Primary School
The children’s designs were judged by a committee consisting of residents, local business owners, architects, academics, artists, members of Westminster Council, and the Assistant Headteacher of Soho Parish Primary School. Some of which, received an award from the RIBA for their outstanding design works.
The 6 winners of the Soho Kids Xmas Lights 2024, Soho Parish Primary School
In a curatorial workshop facilitated by Antonio and Hannah the 6 winners curated the lighting exhibition for the streets of Soho to showcase the 49 lights designed in the three previous editions and their 6 new designs. The Soho Kids Xmas Lights project is ongoing and every year new lights are added to the existing ones.
Curatorial workshop with the Soho Kids Xmas Lights 2024 winners, Soho Parish Primary School
Visitors can download a walking tour of the lights from now until 7th of January via the link here and each lamp post where the light panels are installed features a QR code that links to information about the project.
A huge thank you to our generous sponsors and supporters of the project, and a special thank you to all pupils, Hannah Peaty, and the entire Soho Parish Primary School, The Right Worshipful The Lord Mayor of Westminster Cllr Robert Rigby, Cllr Patrick Lilley Lead Member for Soho and West End Councillor, Rupert Power the Chair of the Soho Business Alliance Managing Director of Sophie’s Steakhouse & Bar & Jack Solomons Club
Jaime Poulton the Owner / director of Randalls Founding friend of the Broadwick Hotel Director at the Soho Business Alliance and member of the Soho Forum, Lesley Lewis the Director at The French House, Dr Amanda McCrory at the Institute of Education UCL, John Bryson the Director at John Bryson Design, John Iona the photographer, and the Comms and Marketing team at the London Metropolitan University.
DATE: from now till 7th January 2024
ENTRY: FREE
