Art and imagination bring people together. They create space for new ideas, different perspectives, and shared creativity. Especially for children, it is valuable to experience that their own contribution matters and becomes visible in the public space.
At a time when much communication takes place digitally and face-to-face encounters are becoming increasingly fleeting, GLOW wants to invest in experiences that bring people together. Not by telling children what to think or create, but by inviting them to create something together. Every child makes an individual contribution, which gains greater meaning as part of a larger whole. With this idea at its core, GLOW develops an annual children’s artwork, with a new theme and a new form each year, tailored to the festival edition. The foundation always remains the same: the children are the artists.
This recurring tradition ensures that new generations of children continue to take part and that GLOW continues to invest in imagination, connection, and collaboration. In this way, the children’s artwork has become a recognizable part of GLOW, demonstrating that light art is created not only for people, but also with people.
Legends, folktales, fables and fairy tales: storytelling has brought people together for centuries. The children taking part in Fabellicht experience that connection too. Their own stories become the starting point for someone else’s story. Where one story ends, another begins. It is a tribute to storytelling, to passing stories on, to the importance of the spoken and written word. Above all, it is a tribute to connection. We need one another to create stories. See Fabellicht as an invitation to tell your own stories—big or small, extraordinary or everyday. Let yourself be seen and heard, just like all these children. Will you join us?
As part of Hugo Vrijdag’s light artwork, 15,000 children from across the region take part in the educational programme, which is taught in schools from September 2026 onwards. Along the way, they create stories together, culminating in a breathtaking shadow play. Inside the dark church, with its soaring ceiling and impressive rows of pillars, the children’s stories guide you through worlds shaped by their imagination. And do you see those beautiful spiral lanterns? They were made by the children themselves, piece by piece. These illuminated columns bring their shared story to life, creating a magical atmosphere here in the heart of Eindhoven. Pause, wander and enjoy.
Children from all over the world can take part in Fabellicht. Whether from a school abroad or a kitchen table far away, storytelling is for everyone. Explore the four drawing assignments below, designed for both young and old. Upload your drawing to the online gallery before 12 October to ensure it has a chance of being featured during GLOW 2026. Artist Hugo Vrijdag will browse through all submitted drawings and select a number of them to become part of the physical light artwork in Eindhoven, Best, Oirschot, Helmond and Veldhoven. Your drawing could be chosen, no matter where in the world you created it…
About the artist
Visual artist and designer Hugo Vrijdag has been actively involved with GLOW since 2008. His work explores how art, imagination and participation can bring people together. Alongside his own light installations, he focuses on projects in which children are the creators. This fascination with creativity and discovery has been a defining theme throughout his work.
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