A year-round vigil over Hull and giant floating Earth: Freedom Festival 2021

‘POWERFUL’: Gaia, by Luke Jerram. Picture by Natural Environment Research Council

Two internationally renowned performances are coming to Hull in 2021 as part of the drive for Freedom Festival to have a year-round presence in the city.

Details of the spring programme starting in March, ahead of the annual September festival, have been announced today.

It will aim to provide audiences with “the opportunity to reflect on what’s going on in the world, our place within it and where we take it next”, organisers said.

The programme includes the UK premiere of The Vigil, a 365-day performance beginning on March 20, and Luke Jerram’s celebrated Gaia, at Hull Minster from March 10-30.

The Vigil will see someone keep watch over the city each day at sunrise and sunset from a bespoke structure on the top of Hull College, overlooking Queen’s Gardens and the William Wilberforce statue.

Over the course of the year, 730 people will contribute to the collective vigil, watching over the city in a silent performance.

At sunrise and sunset, each individual will step inside the structure without their phone to watch over the city for an hour, looking out across the Humber to the east, the urban spread to the north and across the suburbs and countryside to the west.

Anyone who would like to take part can express their interest from January 20.

Commissioned and produced by Freedom Festival, Hull will be the first UK city to host the thought-provoking work created by Australian-Belgian choreographer Joanne Leighton, from Paris-based WLDN.

The Vigil has been running continuously over the past eight years in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria.

Following the success of Jerram’s Museum of the Moon, which saw a record number of visitors to Hull Minster as part of the 2018 Freedom Festival programme, Gaia (Earth) will also come to the city in March.

‘REFLECTION’: An artist's impression of The Vigil on Hull College. Image by Benjamin Tovo

Measuring seven metres in diameter and created from 120dpi detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface, the artwork provides the opportunity to see the planet floating in three dimensions.

The installation aims to create a sense of the ‘Overview Effect’, first described by author Frank White in 1987, in which common features of the experience for astronauts are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.

The installation will be at Hull Minster subject to public health restrictions, with free tickets available from February.

Mikey Martins, artistic director and joint chief executive of Freedom Festival Arts Trust, said: “We always wanted to be more than just a moment in September.

“These two performances are the perfect opportunity for Freedom Festival to have a year-round presence in the city as we offer something wonderful for people to experience, engage with and reflect on.

“We’re really proud to bring The Vigil - a powerful, internationally-renowned, participatory performance - to the UK for the first time. It's an incredibly positive and meaningful story for the people of Hull as we show the country and the world we’re the city in the north that looks out for each other in a different and considered way.

“We’re acutely aware that excellent and unique art in public space responds to very real situations in society and helps us make sense of it. The Vigil is the perfect opportunity for us to respond by spending some time taking stock of who and where we are, and hope for a more positive future after the awful time we’ve been living through.”

PROUD: Mikey Martins

Freedom Festival was held as a virtual event this year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, engaging more than 465,000 people across the country and beyond.

It is hoped; however, that more live outdoor performances will be able to take place next year.

Anthony Baker, executive director and joint chief executive of Freedom Festival Arts Trust, said: “We wanted to bring the city together to promote optimism and hope.

“We’re incredibly grateful to our partners for their continued support as we bring communities together again, in a safe and considered way with these intimate yet powerful performances.

“If you’re interested in participating in these events, sign up to our newsletter so you can be the first to hear from us. We’re also currently recruiting volunteers to help manage these events.”

Dominic Black, priest-in-charge of Hull Minster, said: “We are delighted to be hosting Gaia, the Earth, at Hull Minister in partnership with the Freedom Festival as a powerful sign of our human solidarity and interconnectedness with one another and nature.”

For more information, download the Freedom Festival app or sign up to the newsletter at www.freedomfestival.co.uk.