community involvement
For over two decades LightnUp has worked with a huge number of people from local disability, special needs and employment service providers such as Red Inc., TURSA, Nortec, First Sun, Envite, On-Q, Epic and MultiTask. LightnUp also works with local service clubs and community organisations such as the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, Friends of the Koala, the Northern Rivers Social Development Council and high profile charities such as Our Kids and the Cancer Council.
Prior to each lantern parade, LightnUp takes lanterns through the wards of Lismore Base Hospital and visits local aged care facilities. LightnUp also works closely with people with dementia, and in 2011 curated a heart warming project - Illuminating Lives, combining lantern-making and photographic portraits, capturing the childhood memories of Northern Rivers senior citizens in nursing homes.
Each year LightnUp facilitates workshops for around 1,200 Northern Rivers primary and secondary school students, Guides, Scouts from Lismore Casino, Evans Head and Byron Bay, who then walk in the parade and perform in the finale.
In addition, LightnUp provides work experience and internships for visual arts, tourism and events students from Southern Cross University, plus students from regional high schools, and the North Coast Institute of TAFE who work on the production of the Lismore Lantern Parade.
