Frequency is an international festival of digital creativity, hosted in the historic city of Lincoln. This year, the event programme is bursting with family-friendly activities and interactive experiences for people of all ages.
For four days in October, the historic city of Lincoln will receive a digital makeover, with the welcome return of the Frequency International Festival of Digital Culture.
Traditional venues, cobbled streets and shopping centres will be transformed by innovative and immersive digital experiences as international and emerging artists takeover the city.
This year, the theme for Frequency Festival will be Emergence. Taking place at unique locations across Lincoln, visitors will get the chance to explore an imaginative fusion of art, heritage, media and culture. This year’s festival will also combine live performances, installations and exhibitions with live workshops, panel discussions and talks.
What is Frequency Festival?
The core aim of Frequency Festival is to enable access for all to creative experiences in a digital playground inspiring debate, discussion and discovery.
Frequency Festival was developed by leading creative and cultural agency Threshold Studios in 2011 as part of the Cultural Olympiad funding for the city of Lincoln.
The festival hosts a commissioned programme of digital artistic interventions in non-traditional spaces and is free and open to all. Each edition of the festival has seen visitors experience the unexpected, from Virtual Reality in churches to Turner Prize-winning artists taking over Lincoln Cathedral’s Chapter House.
What to expect at Frequency Festival 2023
Frequency’s 2023 programme features a packed schedule of different events. Most events are free of charge, but online booking is advised for some events due to venue/performance capacity.
There are three different zones to explore this year:
- The Twilight Zone – Giant inflatable monsters, spectacles of light and sound, and Aurora Borealis will illuminate Lincoln’s visitor attractions, including a dazzling display inside Lincoln Cathedral’s Chapter House.
- The Campus Zone – Step onto the University of Lincoln’s Brayford Campus and explore a world of digital interaction, with live & exclusive performances, interactive virtual theatre, and even a Halloween-themed “Diddy Disco” (grown-ups are welcome too!)
- The Discovery Zone – Lincoln’s high street and surrounding venues become festival hotspots where you can interact with artificial intelligence, immerse yourself in nature and swing through the sky in a Leonardo da Vinci inspired virtual flying machine!
Across these zones, there will be 23 different experiences to discover, each showcasing innovative ideas and breakthrough technology.
Event highlights include:
- Polaris: A dazzling and immersive laser light display, taking place in the Chapter House at Lincoln Cathedral
- Volo: A playground swing and a VR headset that will take you on a journey in an award-winning Leonardo da Vinci virtual flying machine!
- Revontulet: This outdoor installation will bring the Aurora Borealis to life, with a sparkling sky and imagery imitating the swoosh of a fantasy fox tail, whose trails are captured on camera.
- Touch & Glow: Embark on a whimsical journey through an immersive multi-sensory zone, where imagination knows no bounds.
- Coexistence: An immersive, multi-sensory installation that reimagines ritual and mythology.
- Digital Graffiti: As part of Frequency’s Twilight Zone, the Different Light Collective will be encouraging people of all ages to draw on the Cathedral!
A full rundown of events can be found on the Frequency Festival website.
