Lucid was in the very early stages of fabricating the elements of Together when Festival Republic MD Melvin Benn made contact and explained that he was looking to create a new late-night dance arena called LS23 to replace the Relentless Stage at Leeds Festival .
The result was a stunning 360 ° dance area able to accommodate up to 20,000 festivalgoers at any one time . Measuring 15m in height and width , Together became a pavilionlike open space in a woodland setting that enabled the free flow of people in and out of the dance arena .
Together went on to be installed at Liverpool Pier Head to mark the 21st anniversary of the club night Chibuku Shake Shake . Branded Dance Together , the installation involved the use of archive music and images from Chibuku ’ s history . Having been a regular at the club , when she was studying music and art in Liverpool in the early 2000s , Swan says the project was particularly rewarding .
Together is currently in Aberdeen , where it will be used at Sprectra , the Aberdeen City Council-run festival of culture that is due to run from 10-13 February .
Swan and Carr state that sustainability is an integral consideration during the design and build of all Lucid ’ s structures , with the team ’ s core focus being on the
Together was the centrepiece of the Leeds Festival LS23 dance arena
potential for reuse and repurpose of component parts .
“ We will not build disposable , single-use structures ,” says Carr . “ Our design methodology is to construct multiple structures
from the same set of reusable components . These component parts are designed and made by us to work in multiple ways from resilient and recyclable materials such as steel . This allows us to create visually exciting new designs without using new materials for each structure and so reducing environmental impact .
“ We have also developed a unique , patented , system of modular steel frames and brackets for attaching creative cladding to Layher scaff . This hard-wearing , reusable system allows us to reuse creative cladding over and over in multiple designs .”
Looking ahead , with the live events market getting back in full swing , Swan says Lucid ’ s focus will be on continuing to develop its portfolio of multi-functional immersive public art installations while also
“ Together was conceived during the isolation of lockdown , driven by a desire for communal experience at a time when our loneliness was at its peak .”
Helen Swan , Lucid Creates
collaborating with festivals and artists to create sustainable stages and spaces for live shows .
She says , “ We are so grateful for the support we ’ ve received for our installations . In 2022 , they are touring far and wide – Futures will be in Australia in August and we are working on an exciting project with a major recording artist for a performance in a spectacular location under the rings of Together . The beauty of our installations is that , like LEGO , they can be taken apart and rebuilt in entirely new ways and so we have endless possibilities to create stages .”
PHOTO : RYAN BETHELL
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