10,000 Touched by Playful, Creative Forest
16 Jun 2016
Ten thousand people were touched by – the three giant inflatable Baobabs, standing sentry in front of Bath Abbey protecting the city and offering a thought provoking conversation about the threat of this incredible tree species. All the creatures that coexist in their environment and how we can help to conserve their unique home in Madagascar.
Each of the ten thousand people who passed through the Forest could not help but be touched by the sheer playfulness, creative and inspired environment – with trees of all dimensions, colours and materials to feel and see. This creative playfulness seeped gently into senses and left each, young, old or in-between, smiling and intrigued with possibility.
New workshops each offering their own version of how to celebrate nature, the environment, wilderness and creativity offered the unique opportunity to design and create ideas, stories, characters, structures, trees, tree hives and bee hives, wonder pages and parallel universes, all of this: for free.
The celebration of creativity and nature, included sound installations composed by Martyn Ware, co-founder of Heaven 17 and Human League, which were immersed and intwined in the trees and the Bower Nest, enveloping ears and taking you on an unexpected sensory audio adventure. While, digital artist Anthony Head’s iMigration installation – a vast canopy of intricate and unique butterflies questioned the concept of what iMigration means today. Exhibited within the vast and awesome space of Bath Abbey – the butterflies have left a casting impression on visitors and tourists alike – the installation is available to all until June 21st.
Historic moments were created when augmented reality agency Media Grand – brought, for the first time, Augmented Reality to the Forest by providing a virtual Forest world for visitors to explore. This is still available to discover simply download the free app, Forest Eyes, to take your own tour in our virtual Forest.
Our Forest is the brainchild of a collaborative team of Bath-based businesses and organisations, including landscape architects Grant Associates, arts-based charity 5x5x5=creativity, creative consultancy Imaginnovation, architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Herman Miller and Bath Spa University.
Unique to Bath, but we dream of bringing Forest to a street in every city in the world.
Seriously playful, Andrew Grant, Director, Grant Associates said: “Each Forest of Imagination has been special, but 2016 has surpassed our expectations on every level. The general public’s support has been exceptional, while the commitment and energy lent to the event by creative businesses and artists from the local area (and beyond) is hard to overstate. As a result, the event was able to offer an even greater range of sensory and magical experiences.
And, we’d like to thank everyone for their participation. We invite you all to keep exploring your own imaginations, and learn more about the fantastic but fragile forests across the globe that need our protection.”
Never forget why Forest of Imagination is brought to you, because we believe that creativity can enhance wellbeing and transform lives, communities, cities and economies.
Do continue to discover your own beautiful creativity, playfulness and imagination. See you next year!