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Celestial Festival, Saturday 24 October- Sunday 02 November

As part of its Southern Broads Cultural Initiative, South Norfolk Council has created a Celestial Festival to celebrate the special qualities of the South Norfolk sky at night and to highlight the loss of dark skies - even in rural areas.

Throughout the ten-day festival – designed to coincide with half-term – residents will be encouraged to ‘Switch Off’ lighting and consider the implications of light pollution. Astronomy will be promoted as an accessible, free leisure activity with a full programme of arts-based learning opportunities.

Dr Ian Gibson, MP for Norwich North and Chairman of the Science and Technology Select Committee, sent the following message of support:

“Hearty congratulations to South Norfolk Council for initiating and organising this exciting project. I believe it is a first for the country. It will bring to many people the excitement of the stars and remind us we are a small blip in a huge universe. Well done, South Norfolk Council. I hope other councils will follow suit.”

The CPRE (The Campaign to Protect Rural England) in Norfolk is also backing the Festival. David Hook, Norfolk CPRE’s Night Blight Campaign co-ordinator says:

“The Celestial Festival celebrates the dark skies and dark landscapes of the South Norfolk night. CPRE/Norfolk wholeheartedly supports this project and its awareness-raising potential. Light pollution is an issue the CPRE has campaigned about vigorously and it is certainly an increasing problem, even in rural Norfolk.

The Celestial Festival encourages people to treasure the beauty of the rural night – well done South Norfolk Council!”

Representatives from the CPRE will be in attendance at events to encourage residents to address these issues and help to highlight the value of preserving the special ‘dark spots’, which still remain in South Norfolk.





SOME FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS:

The festival opens with a Celestial Carnival in Loddon town centre on Saturday 25th October. This free outdoor spectacular includes a themed Planets procession with costumed performers, dancers and musicians. Local school children and community groups will create a living map of the sky with glowing lanterns and large LED-lit “constellations.” The carnival finale will include flame theatre and a magnificent fire sculpture.

Organised in partnership with Norwich Astronomical Society, there will be lectures and visits to Seething Observatory and a chance to try out stargazing through the powerful Genesis telescope. People will also have the chance to learn how our ancestors relied on the night sky for navigation in a Navigating by the Stars cruise along the Broads from Whitlingham to Surlingham. Artist in residence Barry Mason will be based at Seething Observatory for the Festival, devising a site-specific sculpture to act as a visual metaphor, reminding people to switch off any unnecessary lighting.

The London Mozart Players will perform at The Old Granary Barn, Raveningham, with visual cosmic projections and participatory elements in the matinee family performance. In the evening a themed programme of music will include Mozart, Handel and Lynne Plowman’s The Stargazer for tenor and strings.

The 40-strong Big Sky Community Choir will raise their voices in harmony with Heaven Shouting at Holy Trinity Church in Loddon.

The Southern Broads Cultural Initiative is a three-year project, which seeks to instigate cultural regeneration in thirty-three rural parishes bordering the rivers Yare, Chet & Waveney with a portfolio of arts-based activities. It is funded by South Norfolk Council and Arts Council England Regional Arts Lottery Programme.

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