THOUSANDS of volunteers are needed to help stage two events in the upcoming festival Unboxed: Creativity in The UK.
Our Place in Space will feature a scale model of the solar system designed by renowned artist and children's author Oliver Jeffers. Produced by Derry's Nerve Centre Collective, it will incorporate a 10km three-dimensional sculpture trail that will light up pathways in Derry, Belfast, Cambridge and the north Down coast from April to October of this year.
Executive producer at the Nerve Centre, David Lewis says: "We really want as many people as possible to become involved in Our Place in Space.
"We have a variety of volunteering positions available across lots of different areas in each of the places where the Sculpture Trail will exhibit with commitment requiring as little as two hours a week."
Volunteering positions with Our Place in Space are available in each of the sculpture trail locations, including Local Legends to help welcome and inform visitors, Backpack Heroes to support school and community group tours of the interactive planetary experience, and Green Team to take on litter picks and clean-ups.
Green Space Dark Skies will see thousands of people across Northern Ireland gather at areas of outstanding natural beauty. Referred to as Lumenators, participants will be guided along pathways or waterways carrying smart lights that will enable digital choreography captured on film, while also being sensitive to the night-time environment.
The exact locations will only be revealed to these Lumenators, who must registered in advance to take part. Each short film will incorporate the stories of the people and places featured and will be broadcast online after the event. Lumenators will also be encouraged to share their own connections to the landscape and the local areas as part of their involvement.
Green Space Dark Skies aims to enable people from all walks of life to forge new connections with the countryside by supporting those with cultural and physical barriers to experience our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Walk the Plank are the lead creative organisation in the production of Green Space Dark Skies.
John Wassell, creative producer says: "Green Space Dark Skies is about class and landscape, race and landscape, disability and landscape. We want to build more countryside stewards for the future, and to inspire more people to see the connection between their use and enjoyment of the land and our care for the planet.
"The moment when darkness falls and we switch the lights off is going to be the most important collective act of connection between people and nature within each event."
Our Place in Space and Green Space Dark Skies are two of five Unboxed commissions that will see events taking place in Northern Ireland from April to October.
:: If you are interested in volunteering for Our Place in Space, email p.larkin@nervecentre.org. Register to become a Green Space Dark Skies Lumenator at greenspacedarkskies.uk/events.
