Report-Back from Earth Festival Stakeholder Meetings Along The

Report-back from Earth Festival stakeholder meetings

along the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site

November 2010

A series of three meetings were held in November 2012 in Lyme Regis, Lulworth and Portland to discuss the Jurassic Coast Earth festival, which will be taking place between 4 May and 9 September 2012. (The East Devon meeting was postponed due to severe weather warnings and is rescheduled for 13 January 2011.)

The Jurassic Coast Earth Festival is being led by the Lyme Regis Development Trust, and these events were run with invaluable input by various members of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Team – which is supporting the development and implementation of the Earth Festival.

The aims of the meetings were to:

 communicate the themes and opportunities provided by the Jurassic Coast Earth Festival 2012  inspire participation in the festival and stimulate new initiatives  create connections within and between communities along the Jurassic Coast

These were attended by over 80 people, comprising artists and arts organisations, venues, museums, local authority officers, councillors, community initiatives, visitor centres, conservation organisations including the National Trust, Dorset and Devon AONB, Natural England, Countryside Rangers, schools, media and others.

A preliminary website www.earthfestival2012.org has since been created which contains information on the scope and aims of the Earth Festival. This will be added to as soon as possible in order to incorporate information about key events in planning, as they emerge, as well as a ‘back end’ facility to enable networking and project development between various initiatives.

Copies of main presentations are being emailed to participants and available to download from the website, as are Earth festival Project/Event planning Proformas. Below are the notes from the flipcharts capturing project ideas and plans which were brought to the meetings. Many thanks and best wishes

Candida Blaker Lyme Regis Development Trust, Jurassic Coast Earth Festival 2012

Earth Festival-related ideas/ events in development

From flipcharts at Stakeholder meetings in November 2010

Please note: what follows are some of the ideas that are developing and only those captured in the November 2010 meetings, others will be forthcoming soon and we will circulate information accordingly. Do contact each other directly if you feel you can add to or help develop a project plan that has been identified. Although they are arranged by district, many of them are relevant to the wider area. If you have an event / project plan to add, please download a proforma from the www.earthfestival2012.org via the Get Involved page , and send it to [email protected] – or if you get stuck, ring 01297 444042. Thanks! Candida Blaker, Lyme Regis Development Trust, Jurassic Coast Earth Festival 2012

1 REGIONAL INITIATIVES & INTERMEDIARIES 5 1.1 East Devon AONB / Dorset AONB: 5 1.2 DepARTure – 5 1.3 Marketing 5 1.4 Suggestions for overall Earth Festival initiatives... 5

2 WEST DORSET 5 2.1 National Trust, West Dorset - Outdoor Nation 5 2.2 Spirit of Bridport 6 2.3 B sharp (Youth music / arts) Project in residence / Hear Here / bus x- 53- 6 2.4 Contemporary souvenirs – artist & crafts 6 2.5 Climate change, cocoa and Ghana 6 2.6 Stone plesiosaur installation 7 2.7 Students’ relationship to the Coast in photographs 7 2.8 Creative Relay / Rock Bands / Casting Impressions / Image Projections 7 2.9 Absence – site specific dance - performance 7 2.10 Darrel Wakelam 3D art - artist 8 2.11 Lyme Regis Artsfest 8 2.12 Shoreline 8 2.13 Mixed Media Mini May Arts Festival 8 2.14 Big write – life along the Jurassic coast / musical on the Cobb 8 2.15 Dorchester Festival 2012 8 2.16 Project Pliosaur – artist’s project 9 2.17 Bridport Arts Centre 9 2.18 Marine Theatre Lyme Regis 9 2.19 Dorchester Arts Centre 9

3 EAST DORSET 9 3.1 Lulworth Arts – exhibition 9 3.2 Spice Box – artist’s project 9 3.3 Swanage and Purbeck Walking Festival 9 3.4 Purbeck Aware Festival 10 3.5 Purbeck Art Week Festival 10 3.6 Purbeck Clay Festival 10 3.7 Swanage Middle and Purbeck School 10 3.8 'Glamour of Water, Grammar of Rocks 10 3.9 Story telling and film making 10 3.10 Burngate Stone Carving Centre 11 3.11 Lulworth Heritage Centre 11 3.12 Marketing and promotion 11

4 WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND 11 4.1 Wild about Weymouth and Portland 11 4.2 Series of walks/talks along the coast and inland highlighting rich diversity of geology and landscape and boat trips! 11 4.3 Beechcroft St Paul's Primary School - Kenya Link 12 4.4 Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust 12 4.5 Revive Portland – iPlay 12 4.6 Portland Museum 12 4.7 Bagwell Farm 12

5 EAST DEVON 12 5.1 Dance in Devon 12 5.2 Sidmouth Vision/ Sidmouth Town Council 13

1 REGIONAL INITIATIVES & INTERMEDIARIES

1.1 East Devon AONB / Dorset AONB: Kimmo Evans [email protected] / Sue Dampney [email protected] http://www.eastdevonaonb.org.uk/ / http://www.dorsetaonb.org.uk/

Organise annual heath week on the Triassic pebble beds at wood bury castle. We have had arts/dance events as part of it and want more. Great natural amphitheatre.

OFFER: Access to grants. Access to good practice – linking arts to schools

1.2 DepARTure – already have an important role as agent and conduit for arts and artists in schools, and would be vital in relation to the Earth Festival. [Similarly the arts in education agencies in Devon – DAISI and WAVE]

Marketing and promotion – with the tourism sector

1.3 Marketing Tourist Information Centres need to be on board with Festival, events etc. Next meeting of all Tourist Information Centres May 2011.

National Trust will meet with Tourist Information Centres, first West Dorset, possibly other Districts – Caroline Richards offered to present to them about Earth Festival [CB follow up]

We need a Marketing 'Hub' to channel events → EF programme. E.g. National Trust West Dorset, Tourist Information Centre Purbeck, and liason with Jurassic Coast world Heritage Team visitor management (Julia/ Sally).

1.4 Suggestions for overall Earth Festival initiatives...

Suggestion to map activities in quarries to include all various initiatives – this could be done by PSQT in Portland (then extend to whole festival)

Earth Festival Passport (stamp book to record visits and give promotional offers).

Use a social network forum as a holding space until a website can be developed. Good way to sustain links etc between contributors. Paul (PSQT).

DATES: Dorset Heritage Week – 13 June 2011, probably the same in 2012.

2 WEST DORSET

2.1 National Trust, West Dorset - Outdoor Nation Caroline Richards, [email protected]

Jurassic Play. 'Necklace' of natural play interventions along National Trust Jurassic Coast sites – dens, playful art. Chainsaw sculptures.

(Would welcome partners - www Teresa Grimaldi; State of Play Arts). Interactive smuggler trail at stonebarrow - Golden Cap - story telling, outdoor performance (story telling/artists/performers wanted ☺ ). Include MP3 downloads Lighting the Beacon at Thorncombe - Fire Festival/light show (Artists needed) Paper cinema? Jurassic star gazing; cloud watching Jurassic Flyers, Flying Trapeze Rig – hive beach. Walking festival (Jurassic) – could link with Swanage Walking Festival. Spring Tide 2012: Food Festival on the Jurassic Coast. Hive Beach- could link with LUNCH project Bridport (Tina Ellen Lee and Anna Ledgard). Pop up Café's on NT JC sites. Possibly celebrity chef 'Wild Card'. Jurassic Takeaway, eg Schools? 'Hard Rock Café'! Fossils by Fossils - intergenerational Fossil/Jurassic 'walk thru time' shuffle Old people/and kids.

OFFER: West Dorset NT sites are fab for outdoor performance/ art installations etc NEED – artists ideas. All enquiries welcome. No idea too wild.

2.2 Spirit of Bridport Collaboration between local authorities and venues in Bridport to celebrate 2012. Harnessing various existing festivals, and Bridport’s heritage. For Olympics & Paralympics period 27 July – 9 September will stage 2 major exhibitions – Touch and Go (Salt House) – film about the Coast, and former paralympian. - Sport, our Rope & net - 1966 (Bridport Town Hall)

2.3 B sharp (Youth music / arts) Project in residence / Hear Here / bus x- 53- Fran Williams [email protected] http://www.bsharp.uk.com/

Project in residence: working with schools / youth projects & arts based initiatives – creative exploration of science and arts inspiring young people and communities performance. Hear here: large scale audio and visual installation on the cobb in Lyme Regis using young people working together for young people. Interpretation of living in Lyme, the Jurassic Coast and rural hinterland. February 2011 – summer 2012. Bus X-53: B sharp installation

2.4 Contemporary souvenirs – artist & crafts Freelance Artist - Caroline Barnes [email protected] / 07834 986462. Chideock http://www.cbceramics.co.uk/

A series of commissions to produce a range of souvenirs inspired by the Jurassic Coast produced as production runs in the south west utilising the craft and design creative industries we have.

2.5 Climate change, cocoa and Ghana Sir John Colfox School, Bridport. Belinda Bawden [email protected] http://www.colfox.org/

Project investigating what young people know about climate change along the Jurassic Coast. Links into pathfinder projects gifted & talented geography programme in 13 schools. Will build a model to enable young people to visualise the effects of climate change.

Links with a different project 6th form students (John Colfox school) are doing about awareness and understanding of climate change in Ghana, especially on the cocoa industry.

NEEDS: Artist to advise/support the model making (eg. Darrel Wakelam) would be fantastic!!

2.6 Stone plesiosaur installation Herbie Treehead [email protected] http://www.herbietreehead.info/ Bridport

A plesiosaur (or lots of) made out of Portland stone embedded in a field alongside the A35. People can sit on them. Imprints time for years to come – inscribe on the stones. Link to Memo | plesiosaur. Link to Mary Anning’s find in NHM.

2.7 Students’ relationship to the Coast in photographs Maisie Hill, Maisie Hill Photography [email protected], 01297 443069 http://www.maisiehill.co.uk/

Working with higher level photography students along the coast to produce a book of images depicting how we are integrated with the coast in our daily lives. Exploring the idea that the coast is still evolving and living with us all engaging with it.

2.8 Creative Relay / Rock Bands / Casting Impressions / Image Projections Peter Margerum, [email protected] / 01761 232898 and Ruth Worsley [email protected] / 07765126565 Freelance artists

Creative relay: ‘A race long the J coast that links with the gateway towns and associated communities. Participants engage with art activities at each stage of the relay before ‘passing the baton’ to the next town’s team. [could the Town Criers be brought in??] Rock bands: Rolling Stones?? ‘Stone instruments – stone carving tools to create musical instruments for a “musical presentation” or tour. ( drums, xylophones; shakers; scrapers). Could link to “Rock around the Coast” project (JCWHT walks)? And to Common Ground? Also Landance (E Devon AONB)

Casting impressions: ‘Fossils’ cast in plaster from embossed sand moulds (could be done on a sandy beach) images using “pre-history fossils” and contemporary everyday objects.

Image projections: onto cliffs along the J.Coast. Images are produced with schools and groups and accompanied by sounds /music (or rock bands!) Jurassic bus podcast...stories interpret coast on journey. [ Several groups interested in doing this – could be done reasonably low cost]

2.9 Absence – site specific dance - performance Sandra Reeve, Move into Life [email protected] 01297 560511 http://www.moveintolife.co.uk/

Site specific ecological performance for St.Gabriel’s Parish and chapel. Already created with downloadable audio track. Link with local history projects for schools. Link with RELAYS for providing opportunities for training in site specific performance – management, video etc. Linked to National Trust.

NEED: Venue – interested in establishing a place as a performative site.

2.10 Darrel Wakelam 3D art - artist Darrel Wakelam, [email protected] Lyme Regis.

I work with all age groups creating large sculpture models and masks out of simple recycled materials. Dino carnival masks, large scale fossils. Reconstructions of what these creatures really looked like! Big models working in schools. Jurassic dinosaur procession? Link with memorandum.

2.11 Lyme Regis Artsfest Sally Holman / Christine Allison / Karol Kulik [email protected] / [email protected] http://www.lymeregisartsfest.com/

Dates to start 8th September & continue after 9th leading into celebration of Earth Festival, with opening 4th May with Fossil Fest, Science (arts / sport...) involvement and legacy & creative expression for all ages across the arts. Collective aims of accessibility, linking local venues, groups, for The Lyme area. Emphasis on themes to be developed. Town mill, marine theatre etc. Dance/music/literature...

2.12 Shoreline Lesley Dunlop, [email protected]

Shoreline – Charmouth’s quarterly community magazine. Promotes local events and businesses On internet at www.charmouth.org. Runs a feature, booklet and has held ‘meet the Charmouth Fossil Hunters’ event on the Jurassic Coast. Launched The Fossil Hunters of Charmouth & Charmouth Fossil Guide. We’re pursuing Richard Edmonds’ suggestions for a Shoreline-run local Jurassic Coast event in support of Earth Festival 2012

2.13 Mixed Media Mini May Arts Festival The Jam Factory, Gail Sagman, 07960 019180, [email protected] Lyme Regis

Commencing now with an emphasis on a production ending through an education programme hosted by several teachers in different fields.

Also an exchange venue in Prague, ‘The Roxy’ *another large space run by an arts organisation+.

2.14 Big write – life along the Jurassic coast / musical on the Cobb St Michaels Primary School Lyme Regis, Annabelle Grose [email protected] http://www.stmichaelslyme.dorset.sch.uk/ Big write – life along the Jurassic coast. All community members contributing thoughts, experiences and impressions – a large display? Musical on the Cobb – (Ash Alex – schools – performing potter)

2.15 Dorchester Festival 2012 Sharon Hayllen, [email protected] / http://www.dorchesterfestival.co.uk/

Music, theatre, dance and outdoor events at Dorchester Festival. Interested in inviting international artists from other World Heritage Sites.

2.16 Project Pliosaur – artist’s project Sarah Butterworth, [email protected] , Mike Pattison, Forkbeard Fantasy

2011: a 'Walkabout' Pliosaur puppet for street theatre - processional. 2012: much bigger beast - for processions, a static installation (you can walk inside and watch film). Processional, also street theatre - OFFER: Pliosaur available for events, carnival processions etc.

2.17 Bridport Arts Centre Polly Gifford [email protected]; http://www.bridport-arts.com/

OFFER: Big picture forum. Visual arts programme. Exploratory Laboratory- linking arts and science. Possible links to learning programme. Possible venue for events.

2.18 Marine Theatre Lyme Regis Phil Whitehead [email protected] 01297 442394 http://www.marinetheatre.com/

OFFER: We want to program related shows. Looking to support interesting collaborative cross/inter- disciplinary arts projects. Happy to open our space and work with other organisations.

2.19 Dorchester Arts Centre OFFER: Dorchester Arts - can offer venue for events exhibition space/performance space, talks/debates space. 3 EAST DORSET

3.1 Lulworth Arts – exhibition Chris Scholes, [email protected] / 01929 400529 http://www.lulwortharts.com/

Art exhibition - 2D, 3D + Textiles art, design and craft exhibition in Lulworth Cove, Lulworth Arts members – local artists and makers. Summer 2012 – probably August

3.2 Spice Box – artist’s project Michele O'Brien, [email protected]

Tudor Times: Have wanted to tell the story of spices. Where did they come from? Can I make Partners with WH Sites where spices grow? What is the difference between the earth here and there? Want to be part under the umbrella of Earth Festival. Can the values of Olympic/paralympic be shared with the explorers of the past - SAILING!

Piece of street theatre - human stories of journeys. Performing along the coast. Could link with school cross-curricular? Possibly link to Bridport Museum and Spirit of Bridport group?

3.3 Swanage and Purbeck Walking Festival Robert Westwood, [email protected]

2011 has key sponsor from Oswald Bailey. Will hopefully be continuing in 2012, 4 May, (NT could partner) Being organised by Swanage and Purbeck Hospitality Association. [Another idea of this group is a Swanage Fossil Festival working with Durlston Country Park.] 30 April 2011.

3.4 Purbeck Aware Festival Rachael Shefford, [email protected]

Festival includes guided walks, art exhibitions, children's activities and more. Likely to run again in 2012 and would make a link to the Earth Festival.

3.5 Purbeck Art Week Festival Annual event - highlighting and exhibiting art in Purbeck, and stories of the area. Young Artists encouraged and has a 'celebration' event every year.

3.6 Purbeck Clay Festival Lizzle Induni, [email protected]

Clay industry history and education, working with artists in pyramid schools.

3.7 Swanage Middle and Purbeck School Anne Brown (Swanage Middle), [email protected] Jane Williams (Purbeck School), [email protected]

Talks series on geology. Would welcome input from Jurassic Coast Team to inspire staff. Sculpture done in school over a few months - Burnsgate St Centre, Angelika Seik. Also offer school visits on site. Want to do more Jurassic Coast stuff in school. Keen to create links with other schools at other WHS. OFFER: Of venue

3.8 'Glamour of Water, Grammar of Rocks Paul Hyland, [email protected] Pam Zinnemann-Hope, [email protected]

Professional performance events but associated with educational workshops. Ongoing development to culminate in 2012. First performance was at Charmouth. Second at Dorchester Arts Centre 10 December 2010. Evolving contact re: science/arts, reading/performance. Potential workshops for schools. Many links/collaborations. Publication. Mutating web poem. Writers: Kate Scott Poetry Pam Zinnemann-Hope Prose & poetry Paul Hyland Magic

NEED: Interested in school links and venues. OFFER: Workshops offered for schools and adult groups

3.9 Story telling and film making Sally Warburton, Wool CE First School, [email protected] Jane Williams, Purbeck School, [email protected]

Story Telling - A walk through time to turn it into a film. Art - Murals - sculpture. Eco-schools - Green Flag award - environmental impact.

International links - we have a school in Sudan. Literature Performance Event Wool First School and Purbeck School → Purbeck young artists could support. Annie - has experience with animation NEED: ideas on how this could be done - sport? Science - British Museum involvement please. ? Is 'Jurassic Coast Flight' available for school tour?

3.10 Burngate Stone Carving Centre Angelika Seik, [email protected] / www.burngatestonecentre.co.uk

Stone carving courses for everybody - children, adults at the Burngate Stone Centre, Acton near Langton Matravers. Other courses involve Lettering and Caligraphy. Open Studio Events. During Dorset Arts Week in May/June 2012. Open Stone Carving Studio in Corfe Castle.

3.11 Lulworth Heritage Centre Sarah Spurling, [email protected] http://www.lulworth.com/

Big swim event - eg Cove to Durdle Door. Guided kayak trips with geology theme. OFFER: venue and expertise.

3.12 Marketing and promotion Holly Lagden, Purbeck Tourist Information Centre, [email protected]

OFFER: Purbeck District Council - Holly Lagden and Rachael Shefford can help with Marketing and Promotion – can link to other TICs in the area, and also be conduit to identifying artists. Could be part of a Marketing Hub. Caroline Richards of National Trust West Dorset can do similar in her area.

Can use www.visitdorset.com to help market. Via Cultural Framework Group. Tourism Officer can help motivate Purbeck event organisers through contacts. Purbeck Tourist Information Centre can encourage businesses to be "Greener" for festival. Local business links might be a way to access alternative funding. 4 WEYMOUTH & PORTLAND

4.1 Wild about Weymouth and Portland Lyn Cooch, [email protected] / 01305 826100 http://www.portlandcp.org.uk/island/ranger.htm

Partnership between Dorset Wildlife Trust, RSPB, DCC (CRT),W&PBC Involving local people and visitors - enjoying, learning about and conserving the outstanding natural environment of the area. Running projects such as community matters; getting stuck in; no barriers; legacy trail; birds for all. [See www.earthfestival2012.com for download of presentation]

4.2 Series of walks/talks along the coast and inland highlighting rich diversity of geology and landscape and boat trips! Alan Holiday, [email protected] / http://www.dorsetrigs.org.uk/

Dorset Geologists' Association and Dorset Regionally Important Geological Sites (DIGS)

Possibly link to Rock around the Coast information with geology/coastline.(Sam Scriven)

4.3 Beechcroft St Paul's Primary School - Kenya Link Emma Maggs, [email protected]

Using WHS’s as link between schools. Seek artists to engage with the school. PSQT has a stone xylophone and has worked with a Kenyan musician (now playing with Peter Gabriel) expressed interest in collaborating with Beechcroft. OFFER: School could be used as venue

4.4 Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust Hannah Sofaer, [email protected] / 01305 826736 www.learningstone.org

Have a Centre and an ongoing programme, including educational offer, significant arts, music, film and educational facilities. Performance space –‘Walk through Time’ work with Portland museums, and room for artists to get involved and visit. Stories of Quarrying process as well as what one sees on the cliffs. Rachel is working with Engine Shed + Revive / Church Ope Museum. Quarrying connections could be made to Purbeck and Beer? During Olympics/ Paralympics in 2012, could host a Procession through the Quarry – linked to processions and carnivals and Quest, which may be possible to illuminate

Venue: Drill Hall (being refurbished) – is a possible venue for creative arts and events

4.5 Revive Portland – iPlay Mark Jackson, [email protected] / www.reviveportland.com

Organise very successful Halloween events, bringing in young people and whole community. Grove Festival – could expand this prior to the Olympics?

4.6 Portland Museum David Harry, [email protected]

OFFER: Can offer an enclosed garden venue for outdoor displays/activities; teas/coffees. Gazebo; indoor display space; a gathering point for walks. We are trying to get a 'classroom' space built but need a successful grant bid for that.

4.7 Bagwell Farm Karen Kennedy, [email protected]

OFFER: Promotion of Earth Festival events to visitors. Feedback on attractions to our visitors. Possible venue for event outside school holidays

5 EAST DEVON

5.1 Dance in Devon Tamsin Thomas, [email protected] http://www.danceindevon.org.uk/

County’s Dance Development Agency celebrates World Dance Day (29th April). Project has received Inspire Mark. Large dance participation events across Devon on 29th April -9th September (linked with cultural Olympiad). Links to Kimmo Evans (E Devon AONB)

5.2 Sidmouth Vision/ Sidmouth Town Council Robert Crick, [email protected]

Sidmouth Folk Festival: prepare in 2011: July 28 – Aug 5, feature in 2012: Aug 2-10. Town Council/ Museum: Interpretation Centre to be opened Triassic Trail (cycle/foot) from Sidmouth to Woodbury pebble beds to Exmouth Sculpture of Pennington Print designed to erode Kennaway House Arts Centre old meeting listed building restoration