A futuristic-style image made of multiple photos of British landscapes all brought together to create one seamless panorama. Small colourful gradients fill some of the water and mountain areas. The left side shows daytime scenes and as it progresses to the right, the landscapes gradually turns into nighttime.

Green Space Dark Skies

We’re working on an exciting project that reclaims outdoor spaces for every body. As well as touring Human and making our new show Delicate, we’re also collaborating on Green Space Dark Skies with leading outdoor arts company Walk The Plank. The project is part of Unboxed 2022, a national festival of creativity. It invites up to 20,000 people from all paths in life to experience beautiful landscapes across the UK at dusk between April and September 2022. As part of Green Space Dark Skies, we’re creating a magical, accessible, outdoors event on 21st of May.

And we want you to get involved.

We’re combining our inclusive circus expertise together with Cirque Bijou‘s production prowess to create an incredible show in a secret location in Dartmoor National Park. The performers will include circus artists, an inclusive choir, and dancers from Far Flung Dance Theatre, a collective of disabled and non-disabled artists.

But you will create the most magical element. 400 people will join the team as Lumenators, carrying low impact lights through the beautiful landscape during the performance. This is your chance to be part of a memorable, accessible, participatory event. It’s free to take part and every body is welcome. You can join alone, with family and friends, or with an organisation.

Find out more and sign up to be a Lumenator

This show is also a celebration of some of the artistic connections we made over the past 10 years.

Natasha Player is developing the choreography together with Jodie Cole, our former Jerwood Creative Fellow. Our long-term collaborator, Dave Young, is contributing as a poet. Choir master, Colin Rea (Weighting, 2013-2016), and composer, Ally Bryant (Connecting Communities, 2020), will devise the musical aspect of the show. The cast will feature Tilly Lee-Kronick, who performs in Human (touring now). Theatre Royal Plymouth, who are co-producing our upcoming show Delicate with us, will be connecting with communities and participants.

We are so excited to be part of the Green Spaces Dark Skies project. Opening-up and animating these beautiful landscapes is an artistic dream, and working in places and with communities that are new to us is incredibly exciting. Very much looking forward to the journey.

Jamie Beddard, Co-Director for the event and Lead Artist for Extraordinary Bodies

Green Space Dark Skies is an UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK commission.
Billy Alwen and Jamie Beddard are the co-directors of the Extraordinary Bodies event on 21st May 2022, Dartmoor National Park.