National Theatre Wales’ TEAM is to celebrate the summer solstice with a virtual procession this weekend

National Theatre Wales (NTW) TEAM, Counterpoint Arts and Pembrokeshire residents are not letting lockdown get in the way of their solstice celebrations this weekend, devising a digital opportunity for midsummer revellers to unite together in the form of a celebratory virtual procession taking place on Zoom platform.

Today, Saturday, sees the summer solstice marking the longest day of the year.

Traditionally an opportunity to celebrate the long summer evenings with festivals, feasts, bonfires, summer events and activities, restrictions in place due to Covid-19 have demanded a more creative approach to getting people together.

NTW TEAM has created a way to celebrate this significant date with an online, digital procession that promises to be a feast of community and creativity.

Over the last four years NTW TEAM has been embedded in the communities of Pembrokeshire, exploring the key things that matter most for the people of the county. Having decided on climate change and the environment as the most urgent issue, TEAM are currently working towards its culminating production Go Tell The Bees, a large scale event created with the local community – a bold new work that tells a universal story of human connection to nature, originally planned to take place in Manorbier and Pembroke later this year.

As part of the co-creation events leading up to Go Tell The Bees, NTW TEAM and Counterpoint Arts have been working on a virtual procession, bringing people from across the Pembrokeshire county together online through music, dance, video and art work created with local artists, musicians, choirs, schools and community groups.

The procession will see hundreds of people across Pembrokeshire and Wales, turning towards the sun to celebrate and explore the mysteries surrounding the Preseli Bluestone, the original source of the Stonehenge stones.

Leading the procession will be two of Wales’ treasured performers – Carys Eleri (Olwen) and Ioan Hefin (Belenus) with music created by Branwen Munn, Carys Eleri and John Lawrence (formerly of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci) along with a number of talented Pembrokeshire creatives.

Devinda De Silva, head of collaboration at NTW said: “We feel that it’s more important than ever to fulfil our commitment to the people of Pembrokeshire. The Go Tell The Bees virtual procession continues our journey together. It will be a celebration and a party which takes us towards our finale in Pembroke and Manorbier.”

NTW TEAM have recently been encouraging families across Wales to create homemade paper sunflowers which will form part of a virtual procession.

Naomi Chiffi, NTW TEAM coordinator and co-creator of Go Tell The Bees said: “We know, from the work we have been doing in Pembrokeshire over the past four years, that this county is full of amazing, talented people whose ideas and enthusiasm sit at the heart of Go Tell the Bees. With over 500 sunflower packs having been sent out and involvement from choirs, schools, dancers, bands, storytellers and artists from Pembrokehsire and beyond, our virtual procession is proving to be a true celebration of our connection to each other, despite these difficult times.”

Go Tell The Bees will be shared against a magical Pembrokeshire backdrop; creating a festival-style celebration on the county’s beautiful beaches, mountains, forests, castles and towns, shaping a live production co-created between National Theatre Wales TEAM, Counterpoint Arts and local communities.

The Digital Procession will take place on Saturday June 20 at 7pm. The procession will be broadcast live at www.amam.cymru/nationaltheatrewales