The Inside Out Dorset Family Friendly Arts Festival will take place from September 12 – 21 across Weymouth, Corfe Castle, Moors Valley, Christchurch and Yeovil.
The grand finale of the festival, “Sonnet of Samsara”, will transform Weymouth into a living, breathing artwork on the evenings of September 19 and 20.
Participants will weave their way from the town centre to the beach in a vibrant procession of movement, art, and storytelling.
Created by Jayachandran Palazhy (Attakkalari Dance, Bengaluru), Charlene Low, and Ali Pretty (Kinetika), the performance is set to be a breathtaking celebration of art in motion. It also marks the conclusion of Beach of Dreams – a nationwide coastal arts initiative exploring heritage, identity, and our changing climate.
The event is supported by We Are Weymouth, as part of Portland and Weymouth Towns of Culture.
Kate Wood and Bill Gee, co-artistic directors of the festival, said: “More than ever before, this festival feels like it will bring people together. There has been so much community involvement in the making of many of the artworks that this really is a festival celebrating amazing people and the amazing places we find ourselves in.”
One of the standout features of this year’s festival is a travelling mural titled “Consequences,” which is slowly making its way across the county. It first appeared near the Cerne Abbas Giant, and this weekend it can be seen on Summerhouse Hill in Yeovil, where it will be the centrepiece of a community parade and events exploring themes of myth, memory, and place.
The mural will then arrive at Corfe Castle on September 20 and 21, where it will preside over a weekend of live performances by Catalan artists.
Another major installation, “River of Hope,” will be on display at Town Quay in Christchurch from Friday to Monday. Part of a nationwide project that combines environmental learning with creative expression, the artwork features 80 striking flags and sails designed by young people voicing their concerns about the climate crisis.
Accompanying the installation is music by Dorchester-based rapper and producer Isaiah Dreads, adding a powerful local voice to this timely artistic statement.
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For the full list of events and more information about this year’s Inside Out Dorset, visit https://activateperformingarts.org.uk/whats-on/inside-out-dorset/
