Crawick Multiverse, the spectacular artland and visitor attraction inspired by the science and mysteries of the cosmos, will host a week of family-friendly summer solstice celebrations. This year the Multiverse, near Sanquhar on the Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire border, is partnering with The Open University (OU) in Scotland for a series of inspirational, educational and entertaining events and activities between 18-24 June. On the longest day itself, Wednesday 21 June, the beautiful 55-acre site will open at 4am for visitors to gather in a truly breath-taking setting and welcome the dawn.
A Sunrise Ceremony will be led by Open University professor of religious studies, Graham Harvey and professional storyteller, Gordon MacLellan. Gordon said: “Our Solstice Sunrise Ceremony will draw upon midsummer traditions from around the northern hemisphere, bringing together ancient British poetry with Scandinavian stories and more. Spiritual without being religious, this event will encourage visitors to pause and reflect upon their relationship with the world around them and appreciate this morning, this sunrise, one of the turning points of the year.”
The longest day
The longest day culminates with a Tilt Ceremony to mark the moment, at 3.57pm, when the sun reaches its highest point of the year in the sky. Visitors will also be able to enjoy music, performers, sensory tours, guided tours, yoga sessions and Tai Chi demonstrations and more. That evening will see the launch of Solstice Seminars; talks from leading specialists in space science from The Open University, including professors Monica Grady CBE, Stephen Peake and Mahesh Anand, in Sanquhar Town Hall. The week will come to a close on the Saturday with a Midsummer’s Day Family Picnic complete with more entertainment and a pop-up exhibition.
The solstice celebrations offer a superb chance to explore Crawick Multiverse (designed by the late Charles Jencks) with its giant conical grass mounds representing colliding galaxies, long avenue of standing stones and other spectacular features inspired by the sun, stars, and other wonders of the cosmos. Cathy Agnew, Trustee, The Crawick Multiverse Trust said: “We’re thrilled to be inviting visitors and locals to mark the Summer Solstice in such spectacular surroundings. And it’s a huge pleasure to be working in partnership with The Open University in Scotland to offer a programme of events that will be fun and informative.”
Crawick Multiverse is a spectacular land art installation created by the late Charles Jencks and inspired by his thinking about space, astronomy and cosmology. Around 2,000 boulders were used to create Crawick Multiverse. The Sun Amphitheatre is at the heart of the Multiverse and can hold approximately 3,500 spectators.
For further information about Crawick Multiverse visit: www.crawickmultiverse.co.uk
Photos: Mike Bolam.