'Pillars of Light' is an imaginative and unprecedented programme of contemporary and historic art, design, calligraphy, literature, film, theatre and music, exploring different aspects of Muslim cultures and heritage. From 14 January, when it opens to the public with the exhibition 'Palace & Mosque' at Sheffield's Millennium Galleries, to November 2006 'Pillars of Light' will take place across the cities of Bradford, Leeds, Hull, Sheffield and York as part of Illuminate, Yorkshire's region-wide Urban Cultural Programme.

Highlights of Pillars of Light include:

• Palace & Mosque: Islamic Treasures of the Middle East from the V&A: 14 January to 17 April 2006. This new exhibition of Islamic art treasures includes Through a Glass Brightly - new commissions from contemporary artists Kalim Afzal and Farhad Ahrarnia.
• Prelude: Cultural Confluences and the Collections of Bradford Museums, Galleries and Heritage. A new exhibition at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford. 29 April – 29 October 2006
• Maha Mushaira: live literature and performance master classes in Leeds and Bradford. 12-18 June.
• East Meets West: a new exhibition exploring the influence of Islamic art and design on the magnificent Tudor-Jacobean mansion Temple Newsam in Leeds. 25 June to 1 October 2006.
• Speaking Art: a new exhibition of calligraphy at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford. 17 September 2006 to 17 January 2007.
• Bite The Mango: Film Festival at National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, Bradford. 22-28 September 2006.

Dr. Nima Poovaya-Smith, talking about Pillars of Light, commented, "When people come together to share ideas, new and often better ideas emerge; when cultures come together, as they have for centuries, something transformational can happen. Pillars of Light will illuminate some of the rich cultural traditions and new creative responses coming out of Yorkshire, giving our diverse population new ways of finding out about different cultures as well as an excellent programme of events that everyone can enjoy".

Central to Pillars of Light is an imaginative audience engagement programme designed to promote intercultural understanding. Pillars of Light is working with Audiences Yorkshire to develop a programme that encourages audiences to travel more widely across the region. Together they are working with people from the Somali community of Sheffield; Yemeni community of Rotherham; Gujarati Muslim community of Dewsbury/Batley; Bangladeshi community of Keighley; Pakistani community of Leeds and communities in Hull, York, Grimsby, Skipton, Barnsley and Calderdale.

For more information on Illuminate and the full programme the public should call the Hotline 0870 160 2420 or visit www.illuminatefestival.com.