Wish You Were Here

Insite closed the summer season of 2007 with a spectacular installation of outdoor performance built in partnership with Greenwich+Docklands Festivals. 'Wish You Were Here' brought international art groups with awe-inspiring street art spectacles to the Thames Gateway area in a two-weeks free festivity in July 2007. The performances took place in Hadleigh, Southend and Basildon, highlighting Essex sites with the best of street shows from around Europe.

Hadleigh Farm was the scene for a monumental sculptural installation, 'Between Earth and Sky' by the international environmental arts group Red Earth. The temporary installation took the form of a fragile tower using materials found in local woodlands to create a twisting form of greenwood reflecting the transitory destiny of Hadleigh Castle, and was visible from the Shoeburyness to Fenchurch Street train line below.

The second part of the festival was held at one of the UK’s most iconic and legendary attractions – Southend Pier. Innovative street artists brought a smile to more than 2,500 people on the day. Attractions included a Spanish hairdressing side show; intrepid aerialists performing on an inflatable cone; and the brass sound of theatrical band Orkestra del Sol. The show finale gathered an audience of hundreds around a watery surprise at the end of the pier head with a very special dance show from Barcelona called 'Let’s Get Wet'.
 
‘14th of July on the pier was a great day – we need more activities like these’ - Member of the public

The end of the festival was marked by 'Voyage of Dreams', an awesome international spectacle from the French company Malabar who transformed Basildon Town Centre. Nearly 3,000 people were enthralled by a cast of stilt walkers and aerialists together with special effects and pyrotechnics, which accompanied a giant processional sculptural ship that swept around the town centre. The amazing show terminated with a tidal wave of foam.

'the festival was spooky and surreal, it would equal nothing I have ever seen before, it was truly amazing, if only you were there…' - Member of the public

Click here to download the evaluation report for this project (450Kb).

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This unique partnership ran from 2005 to 2007, delivering a total of ten cultural tourism projects that promoted Essex and empowered people to celebrate their unique identity.