A magical night-time event on Badbury Rings on Sept 29th and 30th . Emerald Ant, working with National Trust Kingston Lacy are bringing you a trail featuring 4 artworks and lanterns created by artists working with local school children and community groups. All artworks are inspired by the unique wildlife and ancient heritage of the Rings.The trail will include a live performance by Paper Cinema, 'Furrows in the Land' is created by Year 6 and 7 children at Allenbourn Middle School, working with artist Nic Rawling. The piece will be performed by Paper Cinema musicians and puppeteers. 'The Woodland Cathedral' is an immersive film experience in an oak woodland, illustrating the natural history of the Rings dating from the Big Bang to the current day. The many animals, plants and humans have been drawn and made into animated puppets by students at Allenbourn Middle and Yewstock Community Schools, under the guidance of artist Sarah Butterworth. The film is the creation of Tom Hughes. It will be accompanied by a special soundscape drawn from compositions created by students at St Michaels Middle School, Witchampton First School and Yewstock Community School, working with composer Karen Wimhurst, voice artist Jane Silver-Corren, and assembled by sound artist Adrian Newton. The third artwork, ‘Almost Forgotten, the Story of the Clubmen’, is a live performance inspired by the gathering of 4000 Clubmen on Badbury Rings in 1645, who protested against the ongoing Civil War. Wimborne Community Theatre and Millstream Theatre are joined by a new WCT choir and local musicians, including recordings by marching band, the Quarterjacks of Wimborne. It is directed by Tony Horitz, with musical compositions by Karen Wimhurst and choreography by Claire Benson. The fourth and final performance is set in the centre of the Rings. Created by Ellen Marsden with Year 5 pupils from Allenbourn Middle School, Baroque violinist Emma-Marie Kabanova and sound engineer Chris Caton, 'Star Gazing' is a live solo violin improvisation drawn from the Larghetto section of Vivaldi’s 'Autumn,' performed under the light of the September full moon. The piece opens with a soundscape created by Year 5 at Allenbourn, inspired by the changing seasons at Badbury Rings.

Dispersed between these locations, lighting up pathways and decorating the site, are the many lanterns and flags made by children at Pamphill and Witchampton First Schools, and Yewstock Community School. Local families have also created lanterns in our Summer Workshop Programme. These are all inspired by the Celtic history of the Rings, and include helmets, shields and vessels. Years 7 and 8 students at St Michaels Middle School have created a large Red Devon Cow and a Roundhouse. Our flag and lantern artists are Heidi Steller, Holly Miller and Sarah Butterworth. Children participating in the project have also attended field visits to the Rings led by National Trust archaeologists and rangers.

A fuller programme / guide will soon be available on our website at https://emeraldant.com/glow-badbury/

We'd love you to make a lantern at home to bring to the event. Please follow our online workshop at https://emeraldant.com/glow-badbury/gb-workshops/make-a-lantern-at-home/

Please read the following before booking your tickets:

To allow families of children from all participating schools, and all community groups, to attend, each school/group has been allocated a number of tickets, so please select the appropriate tickets when booking. People who have taken part in our community workshops and partner organisations please use the 'Glow Badbury: Community/Group' tickets. Any allocated tickets that are not taken up will be made available to schools.

Parking will be in a lower field at the bottom of the track. The trail will last around 1.5 hours and each of the 4 performances around 10 minutes. There are 2 events per night, the first starts at 7 and the second at 8.30. It is important families arrive between 6 and 6.30 pm (for the 7pm start) , and between 7.30pm and 8pm (for the 8.30pm start). Latecomers will not be able to join the event. Please consider coming to the second event if you are an adult / adult group, or your children attend the Middle Schools, to enable younger children to come earlier. Walks between each of the artworks will last 6-10 minutes. Groups will be led by stewards. This event is taking place in a wild woodland on uneven and hilly ground and the walk is about 1.5 miles long. In the case of inclement weather we plan to postpone the event to October 6th and 7th.

Please ensure you:

- bring a torch for each member of your party. These will have to be switched off during performances.

- wear boots and trousers to avoid being bitten by insects. We cannot supply tick removal tools.

- bring water

-keep children close at all times

- do not bring a dog unless for assistance

Please observe our no smoking ethos.

Some folding chairs will be provided (3 per artwork location)

Please let us know if you have access requirements.

We will be filming the event.

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Below: Glow Badbury Artwork by Sarah Butterworth