HUNDREDS of people descended upon an Iron Age hillfort for a ‘thought-provoking’ and ‘slightly surreal’ human-powered art display.
Green Space Dark Skies welcomed 600 volunteers, named Lumenators, to the secret location of Maiden Castle for the experience that took place on evening of Saturday June 11.
The magical event aimed to explore Dorset’s extraordinary landscape by making a journey at dusk where participants travelled along pathways and waterways carry smart lights – blending together music, dance and poetry in the one-off celebration of what makes the ancient Dorset landscape so special.
Among the hundreds of participants were Dorchester rapper and MC Isaiah Dreads, Allsrt’d, Chapelhay community, the Dorset Blind Association, the Dorset Islamic Cultural Association, and the 13th Weymouth Guides who joined communities to journey the landscape together.
Green Space Dark Skies choreographer Subathra Subramaniam said: “Watching 600 people do the Namaskar together was incredible. The silence and the focus in that space was magical. The participation in Dorset was truly beautiful, the commitment people had to be together and really be part of something.
“I’ll never forget the energy and the joy that was present from the moment people arrived to the moment they left. You could see it, hear it and feel it. It was shared joy. Choreographing 600 people was very a very humbling and special experience for me.
Subathra explained the gathering could have a lasting legacy. She added: “Lots of people had never been to that site before. I hope its given them a sense of what it can be like in those spaces – and hopefully they’ll be back to enjoy it and be outdoors more in future.”
Rapper Isaiah Dreads, who was a part of the creative team for the event, said: "I had the chance to be musical director for this project and made a selection of tracks made from natural sounds recorded in Dorset. I have written countless songs in the same location the event took place and it was sick to see it filled with people having a good time.
“Things that get people together to appreciate our county can only be a positive. My highlight was seeing everyone holding their lights and moving in sync, I loved seeing everything come to life."
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