From February to April 2019 our artists ran a series of free talks and workshops for all ages in local community venues, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Talks
Talks evening
Lambeage Hall, Coverack
Founding artist Sara Bowler introduced the Goonhilly Village Green project, Robin Ridge from Goonhilly Heritage Society spoke about the satellites’ communications history and Naomi Stratton, from Natural England, shared her knowledge of the Downs.
Photo: Cat Bagg
Talks
In Conversation
Trelowarren Estate, Garras
Sir Ferrers Vyvyan of Trelowarren introduced aspects of the Estate’s history and future, Misha Curson spoke about Eden Project’s contemporary art programme and artist Sara Bowler introduced the new work she is developing in response to the Estate. This was followed by a discussion about ways of exploring landscape and history through contemporary art.
Photo: Sara Bowler
Talks
Afternoon talk
The Museum of Cornish Life, Helston
Artist Beth Emily Richards was commissioned to work at The Museum of Cornish Life to create a performance which took place at The Gathering. In this talk, Beth discussed her research and work on the commission. She was joined by the Museum’s Director, Annette MacTavish and folklorist, Steve Patterson, who shared specialist knowledge of the local heritage and customs that have inspired her.
Photo: Beth Emily Richards
Workshops & tours
Creative Writing Workshops
The Museum of Cornish Life, Helston
Stories for a long time ago. Stories for the far distant future. Stories for a long way away. Inspired by the dishes of Goonhilly Earth Station and Goonhilly folklore, authorial Illustrator Phyllida Bluemel invited participants to bring their Goonhilly tales and unearth new secrets with their imagination to write new myths for faraway civilisations.
Photo: Sara Bowler
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Site tour
Goonhilly Downs and Goonhilly Earth Station
The GVG team and our host organisations Natural England and GES Ltd. led our volunteers and artists on a guided tour of the Goonhilly Village Green site, learning about its natural, social and cultural heritage. The tour included the WW2 buildings of RAF Drytree on the National Nature Reserve and the dishes of Goonhilly Earth Station.
Photo: Field Notes
Workshops
Visualising Waveforms Workshop
The Happidrome, Natural England Site, Goonhilly Downs
This hands-on workshop explored making the invisible visible. Held in a derelict WW2 radar building, the Happidrome, Robin Ridge from Goonhilly Heritage Society introduced how waves are used at Satellite Earth Stations, while artist, James Hankey, led a series of experiments with everyday objects to visualise how electromagnetic waves form, function, and fill the sky. Participants created their own waves, capturing their forms using long exposure photography and took home a unique darkroom print.
Photo above and main grid: Mark Whenman
Workshops
Camera Obscura Workshop
Trelowarren Estate & Goonhilly Downs
Led by artist Oliver Raymond Barker, the workshop gave a theoretical introduction to Camera Obscura. Participants were helped to build and immerse themselves in body-worn camera obscuras and explore the historic estates from a new perspective.
Photo & header photo: Oliver Raymond-Barker
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Lyric writing & choral workshops
Penryn
Artist Beth Emily Richards held a series of workshops with Hum, a democratic choir based in Penryn. Hum sing traditional and contemporary folk songs from around the world, including new music composed here in Cornwall. They worked with Beth to write lyrics and with composer and voice coach Daisy Higman to rehearse for a new choral work, Welcome (Sent Forever) in a series of practical workshops. Using a cut up technique, the group united seemingly disparate strands of Beth’s research, including: Helston’s flora day and the welcoming of spring; processional music in Cornish and British folk customs; sending messages to the heavens from the dishes of Goonhilly, and ‘cosmic welcome mats’ welcoming alien life to earth.
Photo: Field Notes
GOONHILLY VILLAGE GREEN 