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Sense of Unity

Enjoy this selection of photos from Bournemouth Arts By The Sea Festival where Sense of Unity performed the festival finale.

Sense of Unity

by Worldbeaters and Dundu –

a new touring outdoor spectacle, produced by Activate

Enjoy this selection of photos from Bournemouth Arts By The Sea Festival where Sense of Unity performed the festival finale.

They are followed by a selection of photos taken by Mike Petitdemange at a free drumming workshop that Worldbeaters ran before the performance. It was free to attend and lots of local drum enthusiasts made the most of the experience. 

Thanks to Bournemouth Echo and Haydn Wheeler for the spectacular photos

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This association is made possible because of Activate’s role in Coasters (An Arts Council England, nationwide, strategic touring-fund project) Activate are partners along with other organisations who deliver projects in seaside towns with the aim of developing the arts in these coastal areas and, in turn, improving well-being and boosting the local economy.

Activate partnered with 101 Creation Space in Newbury allowing Worldbeaters Drummers to create an all-new night-time spectacle in collaboration with outdoor arts and puppet specialists, Dundu from Germany. Their association introduces Dundu’s large scale, illuminated puppet, Dundu and a smaller, playfull, Baby Dundu. Activate were absolutely delighted at the outcome of their collaboration.

The gentle giants, Dundu (and a baby Dundu!) premiered in Newbury’s town centre on Friday 30th June when thousands of people lined the streets and walked with the ensemble to its spectacular climax.

The day after Saturday 1st July, the whole group gathered in Roman Road, Bow for Greenwich and Docklands Festival (GDIF) and this time, ended the performance deep in a local housing estate with a firework finale. The show then moved on to Out There Festival in Great Yarmouth on 16th September.

The performance itself is a convergence of different musical worlds  – Dundu features ethereal West African Kora and when combining with the drama of Worldbeaters dynamic rhythms and makes for a real crowd-pleasing spectacle.

The performance then came to Dorset as part of Bournemouth Arts By The Sea Festival on October 21st (details here) before whizzing up to Blackpool for the finale of this first tour, to perform at their Festival Of Light Festival@lightpool on 25th October. Crowds everywhere have gathered in anticipation of the performance and have been left spellbound by the energy and quality.

Here’s a taster; this was the improvised first collaboration between the German DUNDU Ensemble and the British Worldbeaters at the first edition of Illuminate in Oldham. Click to view video

Dundu and Worldbeaters collaboration is commissioned by Coasters, produced by Activate Performing Arts and developed at a residency at Newbury Corn Exchange’s 101 Outdoor Creation Space. Both companies have excellent international reputations and have enthralled and entertained spectators all over the world. 

Supported by Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring Fund, Coasters is a three year project that brings world-class circus and street arts work to coastal towns across England.

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