4th November 2025
City Reflections – Trail Map Artwork Brief
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Experience Southampton’s rich past on a six-location projection trail this February 2026, with stories from the city’s history cast in light across its buildings and streets
City Reflections: Illuminating Southampton’s Stories is an animated light projection trail that will run across four evenings in February 2026, bringing the city’s history to life in bold and creative ways. Six historic buildings across Southampton’s Old Town and city centre will be transformed with large-scale projections, immersive soundscapes and storytelling inspired by the city’s art, maritime and archaeology collections.
What makes this project truly special is the blend of community co-creation and world-class creative production. Six Community Curators – each representing a different Southampton community – have worked hand in hand with the creative team to explore the city’s archives and uncover the stories they tell, developing meaningful links between the themes and buildings they’re paired with and the communities they represent. Their insight and input have shaped every projection, ensuring each one is not only visually spectacular but also rooted in local voices and perspectives.
The trail’s themes and locations include:
- King John’s Palace – Trade and Textiles, curated by Rajan (Indian community)
- Holy Rood Church – People and Global Connection, curated by Abs (African diaspora)
- The Bargate – Culture, curated by Thelma (Young People, Sport and Disabled communities)
- The Dancing Man Brewery – Ships and Shipping, curated by Stephen (Older Isolated People, in partnership with Communicare)
- The Castle Vaults – City Maps and City Walls, curated by Beth (Neurodivergent people)
- Southampton City Art Gallery – curated by Ri (LGBTQ+ community)
City Reflections: Illuminating Southampton’s Stories will help showcase Southampton’s world-class collections, sharing some of the city’s history and stories as part of the celebrations leading up to the reopening of Southampton City Art Gallery in 2026, following its major refurbishment.
Presented by Southampton Forward in partnership with Southampton City Council, City Reflections is created with Light Up Trails and Double Take Projections, supported by funding from Arts Council England, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project is also supported by Southampton Forward’s founding city partners: Southampton City Council, University of Southampton, Southampton Solent University, GO! Southampton, Paris Smith, and Mayflower.
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City Reflections News and Updates
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Thank you so much for all of your support, guidance and patience over this process – it’s been really positive, and something I’ve hugely valued being part of. Something I wanted to add to the reflections on skills learned, echoing Jackie’s sentiments, was how it’s given me the confidence to work on heritage projects, on projects with a visual focus, and I’ll definitely be factoring this into future work pitches and considerations.
Ri Baroche, Community Curator
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This project has reminded me of what I used to do – what I loved doing which is research.
Thelma Bishop-Young, Community Curator
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I find myself in a hopeful place now thinking about Southampton as a City.
Stephen Muldowny-Mizen, Community Curator
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Coming from a different religion, language and country I have felt so welcoming in Southampton, this event has really highlighted the warmth I have felt from Southampton.
Rajan Jolly, Community Curator
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“Amid the noise of the city, I’ve discovered its hidden jewels—its history, green spaces, and deep human stories. This project feels like a stepping stone towards truly acknowledging Southampton’s past and its timeless connection to land and water. ”
Beth Macey-McLeod, Community Curator
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Founding City Partners
