Artwork Celebrates 60 Years of Leeds’ Spirograph Invention

Light Night Leeds features immersive digital tribute to iconic drawing toy

An immersive artwork celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Spirograph, a drawing device invented in Leeds, will be showcased at this year’s Light Night Leeds event. The installation, titled Spirograph Reimagined, is set to attract visitors to Leeds City Museum as part of the city-wide cultural festival.

Details of the Spirograph Reimagined Installation

Created by artists Lesley Halliwell and William Card, Spirograph Reimagined brings the geometric patterns of the classic toy to life through digital animation. The installation is housed in the Brodrick Hall of Leeds City Museum and features a six-minute sequence of vibrant, pulsating spiral patterns inspired by the Spirograph’s distinctive designs.

The artwork incorporates original drawings by Lesley Halliwell, enhanced with a specially composed soundscape by James Bagshaw. The patterns evolve dynamically, rotating and expanding to create an immersive visual experience.

Background and Significance

• The Spirograph was invented by engineer Denys Fisher in Leeds and first sold in 1965.
• The device uses plastic rings and gears to create intricate circular patterns, popular with children and artists alike.
• Lesley Halliwell has worked with the Spirograph for over ten years, creating large-scale multicoloured drawings based on its motifs.

Lesley Halliwell commented on the project: “Many people will remember those plastic rings and gears neatly arranged in a box, the scratch of the biro and the thrill as intricate circular patterns appeared almost by magic. It feels especially meaningful to be unveiling Spirograph Reimagined here in Leeds because the Spirograph itself was invented in the city.”

Light Night Leeds 2025

The installation forms part of Light Night Leeds, an annual arts festival that transforms the city with illuminated artworks and projections. The 2025 event, running on 22 and 23 October from 6pm to 10pm, will feature a range of displays celebrating the theme of Landmarks, including:

• A large-scale projection on the Queens Hotel marking 200 years of the modern railway.
• Portals: The Machine of Worlds, a new commission at Leeds Civic Hall co-produced with the British Library, exploring science fiction and discovery.

Light Night Leeds has grown in popularity since its inception in 2005, with an estimated 214,000 attendees in 2024. The event also contributes significantly to the local economy, generating an estimated £5.46 million last year.

Council and Organisers’ Comments

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture, said: “Light Night celebrates the power of culture, creativity and imagination and gives tens of thousands of people each year the chance to explore Leeds in a way they never have before. It’s fitting that an event which has played its own distinct part in the story of Leeds is also paying tribute to some of the ingenious individuals who have helped put Leeds on the map.”

Light Night Leeds 2025 is organised by Leeds City Council with funding from Arts Council England and support from local business sponsors.

For more information about the event, visit www.lightnightleeds.co.uk.