Unmissable new creative light installation is part of the Chester Designed by Nature project and will launch in a secret location on 25 November 2021 as part of the much-loved 12 days of Christmas parade
Chester communities will tune into the night sky this Christmas time as a dramatic new installation from Wild Rumpus launches in the city centre for the whole of the festive season.
The Roving Moon will be unveiled in its first secret location in the city as part of the city’s cherished 12 Days of Christmas Parade. Following its reveal, the moon shaped sculpture made from recycled metal and fabric, will move across the city to different locations. As it hops across landmark buildings, it will entice visitors and shoppers to explore snippets of the city they might not have previously discovered.
Destination Chester, a network of the city’s tourism partners, has commissioned the installation, and the team at Chester’s Storyhouse will be staging ‘roving’ events to coincide with the moon’s secret movements across the city.
These events will launch on Sunday 4 December, when City Forest Garden, the site of Chester’s supertrees will start the winter season. An afternoon of storytelling and walkabout theatre will mesmerise and enchant, amongst the sculptural trees and alongside an interactive lantern making workshop with artist Jo Gomez.
Other city winter happenings include the return of Chester’s Christmas Market (18 Nov-22 Dec), torchlit winter parades the Winter Watch and Saturnalia (9,16 Dec) and The Lanterns at Chester Zoo (12 Nov-23 Dec).
Chester BID is also set to launch ‘Santa’s Enchanted Grotto’ (26 Nov – 24 Dec) within The Grosvenor Shopping Centre, where children will be able to walk through a magical winter wonderland, dotted with fairies, woodland creatures and magic, before discovering Santa’s Grotto and meeting the big man himself.
The Moon follows the launch of The Nest as part of Chester, Designed by Nature, a new six-month community arts project launched by Destination Chester, with support from the European Regional Development Fund.
The project aims to embrace and explore the natural world that surrounds us through a programme of art, activities, performance, storytelling and amazing large-scale sculptural installations which will appear across the city.
Jamie Christon, Chair, Destination Chester, says: ‘We’re hugely excited to be able to present this dramatic new installation from Chester Designed by Nature, which has been made possible by a grant from the European Regional Development Fund. Destination Chester has grown in strength and support this year and is the single network representing the visitor economy in the city.
‘Chester is a magical place at Christmas time. With the beautiful market in Town Hall Square and the medieval rows setting the scene, the moon will light up the sky and complete the fairy tale – delighting adults and children alike.
‘Jess Rost, the artist behind the moon installation, has created something truly other worldly – but this is essentially another project of sincere collaboration – testament to the way our city works in partnership.’
For more details, go to www.visitchester.com, or @visitchesterandcheshire on social channels. Use #chestermoon to search for moon locations or post photographs when discovered.
Image Credit: Mark Carline
Funding to provide the services in this project is provided by the Welcome Back Fund (WBF). WBF is managed by Her Majesty’s Government and is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
The project is receiving more than £300,000 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.
Published 11th November 2021
