Tintern Abbey to host stunning fire garden for Wye Valley River Festival event
The spectacular setting of historic Tintern Abbey is to host a magical “fire garden” as part of a transformative new family event from the team behind Wye Valley River Festival.
Following the success of this year’s summer festival, the organising team are back with their first autumn live show entitled Alchemy and Artistry – Tintern Abbey Fire Garden, a two-night spectacular kicking off on Friday October 21st at 6pm.
Tickets are now on sale for Alchemy and Artistry, which will see the historic abbey grounds on the Welsh bank of the River Wye host “a magical evening of fire, flame and gentle music”, illuminated with a thousand flickering candles and sculptures by fire specialists Pa-Boom.
Led by Dave Chadwick, who is planning to retire from live events after the Tintern show, Pa-Boom are billed as “alchemists and artists, specialists in creating fire drawings, stunning sculptural bonfires, enchanting flame filled installations and unforgettable pyrotechnic displays”.
Organised in partnership with the Welsh Government’s historic environment service Cadw, Alchemy and Artistry will also include live atmospheric music, plus delicious and warming autumnal refreshments from local independent suppliers.
The festival organiser Wye Valley River Festival CIC have worked with Pa-Boom for many years, including the memorable flaming stag’s head sculpture and amazing pyrotechnics display which closed the 2018 event which people still talk about.
WVRF artistic director Phillippa Haynes said: “As the nights draw in and we head towards winter we are pleased to be partnering with Tintern Abbey and Cadw again to bring this unique heart-warming event to the Wye Valley. The Fire Garden promises to be a captivating night out from Pa-Boom for all ages and a rare chance to walk through the abbey grounds after dark.
“Join us for this mesmerising, magical evening of fire, flame and gentle music in the grounds of the iconic Tintern Abbey, which will be a night to remember.“
Prior to the fire garden event Wye Valley River Festival are holding skills and training workshops, in partnership with Pontypridd-based Citrus Arts, which will see pyro technicians teach young people how to make fire sculptures, prepare for such events and assist the experts on the night.
Phillippa Haynes added: “The ancient practice of alchemy was shrouded in mystery and secrecy. Its practitioners mainly sought to turn lead into gold but its goals of alchemy went far beyond simply creating golden nuggets but was rooted in a complex spiritual worldview in which everything around us contains a sort of universal spirit, which we hope the Tintern Abbey event will generate this year.”
Alchemy and Artistry is being staged after popular free arts and environmental event the Wye Valley River Festival saw 20,000 local people enjoying its mix of memorable live shows and interactive art experiences over 10 days, with a further 6,000 taking part in outreach activities around the event.
The festival presented amazing site-responsive sound commissions at Tintern Abbey, inspired by the festival theme Human ⇋ Nature. Visitors could experience the extraordinary sounds of the deep ocean with Chris Watson’s piece the Three Realms and conduct their own natural sound concerto with the Soundbeam installation. People could dial up a chosen celebrity to hear their ‘Letters to the Earth’ with Dame Emma Thompson, Sam Lee and Jenny Ngugi among those to record pieces.
The 2022 festival, which concluded on June 5th, saw musicians, dancers, performers and even giant bouncing kangaroos delight crowds lining the streets of Ross-on-Wye plus live theatre shows at Symonds Yat Rock and community groups displaying work they created for the free access event.
Wye Valley River Festival CIC were delighted to see crowds return in large numbers as the biennial event completed its live return following a four-year absence. The festival saw performances by specially commissioned troupe The Bikesplorers, who toured throughout the festival along a 65-mile route, putting on pop-up performances for audiences.
Other Festival highlights had included the opening weekend Monmouth Merry Mischief Day which saw crowds turn out for lively circus acts, street theatre performers, musician and community group parade floats taking over the streets.
Nearly all the events were free to attend and did not require tickets, in line with the organiser’s ethos of making the Festival accessible to as many people as possible. Organisers ensured performers, producers and production crew, 90% of whom lived within a 40-mile radius of the festival, reduced their vehicle usage. The organisers also encouraged the use of carbon minimising methods.
Innovative arts organisation Wye Valley River Festival CIC is led by artists and communities all creating work focussing upon environmental themes. The Festival was launched in 2014 as a partnership between arts professionals The Desperate Men, Phillippa Haynes and the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The 2022 event was funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund, Arts Council England, the Sustainable Development Fund, the Welsh Government and Forestry England.
