Preparations have begun to turn Salisbury into a Window Wanderland

Eagle-eyed shoppers may notice a lot of activity in businesses over the next few days as preparations begin for Salisbury’s first Window Wanderland.

From Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th November 2021, the unique art gallery project will be seen across the city centre. Between 4.30pm and 10pm each day, lights will be left on in windows to showcase imaginative designs that have been created for the project, shining a light on Salisbury’s creativity.

Window Wanderland has been brought to Salisbury by the city vibrancy partnership, which is made up of Salisbury BID, Salisbury City Council and Wiltshire Creative with funding from HSBC UK and Wiltshire Council.

The magical outdoor galleries have been seen on the streets of the UK since 2015, fostering a sense of community. The Salisbury project will bring fun and light to our streets after eighteen dark months and the timing in November coincides with two religious festivals - the Christian festival of All Saints and All Souls and the festival of Diwali, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and some Buddhists.

The diversity in our Traditional Original city will be celebrated through the Window Wanderland experience, with designs drawing on the themes of Diwali, Festival of Lights of triumph over darkness, happiness and positivity. Over the last few months, Wiltshire Creative’s Take Part Programme has been holding workshops with local community groups and schools to produce many of the window decorations. It is these designs that have started to be installed.

The full Window Wanderland experience will launch on 4th November with a special evening of traditional dance and music from the Nepalese Society of Salisbury, as they also celebrate the start of Diwali. The evening, which is being held at Salisbury’s Guildhall, will give a real insight into the local Nepalese community and culture. There will be three performances on the night, at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm.

You don’t need to book but spaces are on a first-come-first-serve basis. There will also be hot drinks for those who attend.

Sabita Sharma, Chairperson of the Nepalese Society of Salisbury said: "This is the perfect time to celebrate Window Wanderland and Diwali. The festival is all about light triumphing over darkness, very much like our fight against Covid over the last couple of years. It’s going to give a positive message. It’s about victory over evil, lights colour and bringing families together.

“We are very excited to bring our culture and heritage to the people of Salisbury. During our evening of dance and music we are going to wear our traditional clothes so it’s going to be a good night".

A Window Wanderland leaflet, which includes a map of where to find the windows, can be downloaded from the Experience Salisbury website or picked up from the Salisbury Information Centre of Fish Row, Salisbury Arts Centre, HSBC in Minster Street and Salisbury Library.​PRESS RELEASE Don't forget to take photos of the impressive designs and upload to social media using the #WWSal isbury2021 hashtag.