The London Borough of Bexley, in conjunction with Bexley Culture Network, has successfully secured funding from Arts Council England to fund a light-themed evening arts festival that will start in the autumn.

The council has been awarded a grant of £100,000 from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants to bring together local arts and culture partners to deliver Night Visions, a celebration of local creativity that will use the theme of light to connect a series of unique events across the borough.

The programme will begin in October and run into the winter.

The council has been working closely with its culture partners throughout 2025 to shine a light on the many incredible events and arts projects taking place around the borough through the #CelebratingBexley programme.

Cllr Cafer Munur, Cabinet Member for Place Shaping at London Borough of Bexley, said: “Throughout 2025, we have been working hard to show off what an amazing place Bexley is to live and visit through our fantastic #CelebratingBexley programme.

“This funding success will help us to take our ambition for arts and culture in Bexley to the next level by working with our local arts and culture partners to put on some very special events in Bexley. We expect that by working together through this project, our local partners and the council will be able to cement Bexley’s reputation as a place where creativity flourishes and is woven into the fabric of local life. We will also make sure there are some brilliant nights out for local residents and visitors.”

Bexley Culture Network is a collective of local organisations that share an ambition to grow and develop arts and culture in Bexley.

The network includes local institutions like Bird College and Rose Bruford College, heritage sites such as Hall Place and Lesnes Abbey Woods, National Portfolio Organisations such as The Exchange in Erith and Bow Arts in Thamesmead.

It also includes strategic arts partners such as Three Rivers Bexley, the borough’s Creative People and Places programme and Peabody which is leading the cultural strategy for Thamesmead as part of its long-term regeneration of the town.

Adriana Marques, assistant director of cultural programme and strategy at Peabody and member of the Bexley Cultural Network, said: “Bringing some much-needed light to the darker winter days, Night Visions will see local audiences and local artists come closer together, and new memories made.

“This fantastic programme is the first expression of Bexley Cultural Network’s recent manifesto, which pledges to make positive change across the borough through arts, creativity and culture. We look forward to sharing these exciting new experiences with local people and encouraging a life-long love of culture which, as we know, can transform places for the better.”

The immersive lantern light experience “Alice and the Queen’s Beasts” at Hall Place in November has already been announced. The Hall Place event will be part of the Night Visions programme.