Lawrence Loves… lanterns to light up Lawrence Community

Lawrence Community Fundraising Inc. is inviting community members to participate in lantern making workshops over the weekend of Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 May, in preparation for Lawrence Loves… festival. 

The free workshops, which run from 10.00am to 4.00pm both days, will be guided by master lantern maker Phill Relf of Ikara Celebratory Events. Phill, who is no stranger to the Clarence Valley in recent years – having conducted workshops and coordinated lantern parades in Ulmarra and Copmanhurst – said that lantern making is accessible and enjoyable for people of all ages.

“I just recently ran a workshop with students at Lawrence Public School, who made box lanterns. With the help of older ‘buddies’ from years 5 and 6, even the kindergarten kids were able to complete the lantern. I look forward to seeing them join the parade at Lawrence Loves…”

The workshops will be held at Lawrence Public Hall and offer two activities: attendees can build a small boat-shaped lantern to carry in the parade; they can also contribute to the construction of a model of the Lawrence Ferry, which will head up the parade on Saturday 25th May.

Phill is also keen to share insights with anyone curious about learning the techniques of building large processional lanterns. He remarked, “It’s a passion of mine to ‘teach the teacher’ so that others can pass on these skills. Lantern making is essentially a form of sculpture and by using a handful of core techniques, the models created can be extremely varied in style and size.”

Event manager Phil Nicholas said, “We are expecting school students, their families and community members from Lawrence and surrounding towns to attend the festival.”

“There will be activities and live music from 2.00pm to 9.00pm. In addition to sharing great food and live music, a lantern parade is one of the most magical ways of bringing a community together.”