Royal Botanical Gardens - Artists for Glow Wild

We are seeking submissions from artists working in light, sculpture, lanterns, projection or performance for our Winter lantern trail in 2024 and beyond.

Glow Wild is a family winter lantern trail set at Kew’s wild botanic Garden, Wakehurst, in Sussex. The after-dark trail consists of a number of installations along a 1-mile route through the Gardens, animated with lanterns made from natural materials, fire-based sculptures, light and artworks – either existing or commissioned specifically. It runs for 6 weeks over 30+ non-consecutive days from mid-November through December.

Our Creative Approach Glow Wild has a natural aesthetic, using materials that reflect and are part of the landscape. It’s backbone is 1000+ hand-made lanterns complimented by artist installations in a variety of media.. It is authentic, magical, memorable, measured, sensory and beautiful. The creative content responds directly to the landscape – vistas, plants, animals, fungi and insects. This context shapes our narrative each year of the trail, inviting visitors to consider and deepen their relationship with nature. We aspire to entertain, but for those who wish to delve further, we can build in thought provoking layers of meaning, linked together by the over-arching narrative of the year in question.

2024 Narrative, The Secret Life of Trees. “The leaf of every tree brings a message from the unseen world. Look, every falling leaf is a blessing.” Rumi

Our narrative for 2024’s event explores the theme of trees – nature’s true multitasker. Trees are a vital part of our lives, reminding us of the interconnectedness of all living things. The bustling ecosystem beneath our feet and the majestic canopies above hold captivating secrets. The silent sentinels that have quietly shaped our planet for millennia, offer a wealth of treasures waiting to be unearthed, if only we took the time to look. And the more we know, the more we see – we are just beginning to scratch the surface…

Here are some examples of tree stories to explore: • Biophilia • Health and well-being • Environmental importance • Cultural identity • Ecological importance