We are delighted to announce CONTINUUM Midsummer weekend

 

Spend the summer solstice high on the fell tops under the Northumberland dark skies in a weekend of art, science and speculative fiction taking place at the UK’s only arts venue with an astronomical observatory, Allenheads Contemporary Arts.

 

On the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Moon landings Canadian artist Sarah Fortais will make a performance journey ‘Voyager’ on public transport to Allenheads Contemporary Arts in her DIY spacesuit. Astronomer and writer Pippa Goldschmidt continues her poetic speculations on ‘the need for better regulation of outer space’ while writer and artist Robert Good displays his metaphysical star maps and Susan Eyre creates a wormhole in a Blacksmith’s forge in ‘Aoratas’ “entering its vortex and experience the wonder of hidden landscapes leaving them cleansed and positively charged”.

 

Finnish artist Henna Asikainen is working with a North East migrant community and a foundry worker on a project called Omens, taking its inspiration from the tradition of molybdomancy - a divining practice from ancient times involving melting metal over an open fire, pouring it into cold water and then interpreting the resulting form.

 

Annie Carpenter and Alan Smith create a sculpture activated by the sun at the exact moment of the solstice in ‘Salvaged Alignment’ while Nicola Ellis uses the hills and valleys around Allenheads to create a remote mirroring performance. Lucien Anderson will float his ‘Humble Space Telescope’ in ACA’s ‘Cosmic Pond’, while participants of the ‘Writing The Future’ workshop will present their creations alongside a show reel of artists’ videos.

 

Linking the Saturday and Sunday will be ‘A Midsummer Night’s Drone’ running from sunset to sunrise with John Bowers, Rob Blazey, Tim Shaw, Malcolm Conchie and Alan Smith.

 

SATURDAY

1-5pm Exhibitions/events open

4-7pm Refreshments in the welcome tent with Middle Eastern street food, Turkish teas and homemade baklava (by Lisa Armour-Brown).

7-9pm Open session of short talks and discussions, led by Robert Good & Pippa Goldschmidt. All welcome!

+ Sunset to Sunrise - A Midsummer Night’s Drone

 

SUNDAY

1-5pm Exhibitions/events

1-2pm Writing The Future Workshop at the Old School House

1-5pm Tea, coffee & cakes at the Old School House

 

More information and press images from Helen Ratcliffe helenshead@acart.org.uk

 

Part of Great Northumberland 2019 and Discover our Land