insideKENT Magazine Issue 80 - November 2018 | Page 36

ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
Danny Boyle on Sunny Sands beach
© Tabatha Fireman / Getty
DANNY BOYLE’S PAGES OF THE SEA
AT SUNNY SANDS, FOLKESTONE
THE CREATIVE FOUNDATION IN FOLKESTONE ARE PART OF PAGES OF THE SEA,
DANNY BOYLE’S COMMISSION FOR 14TH-18TH NOVEMBER TO MARK THE CENTENARY
OF ARMISTICE DAY. ON 11TH NOVEMBER 2018, THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO GATHER
ON BEACHES ACROSS THE UK FOR AN INFORMAL, NATIONWIDE GESTURE OF
REMEMBRANCE FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO LEFT THEIR HOME SHORES DURING
THE FIRST WORLD WAR.
Each event centres around the drawing of a
large-scale portrait of a casualty from the First
World War, designed by sand artists Sand In
Your Eye, which will be washed away as the
tide comes in. In addition, the public will be
asked to join in by creating silhouettes of
people in the sand, remembering the millions
of lives lost or changed forever by the conflict.
The location for Folkestone's portrait will be
Sunny Sands beach, near to the harbour where
millions of men and women arrived and
departed during WW1. Folkestone played a
crucial role in the First World War as a
communications hub for the Western Front.
The town was transformed by the arrival of
contingents from across the British Empire
and beyond, witnessed an influx of Belgian
refugees, hosted a huge Canadian
encampment, was home to Chinese labourers,
and was the site of an allied intelligence centre.
Danny Boyle’s invitation pays homage to this
rich history and contribution to the war effort.
Poet, Carol Ann Duffy has been invited by
Boyle to write a new poem, which will be read
by individuals, families and communities as
they gather on beaches on 11th November.
Copies of the poem will be available at Sunny
Sands for those who wish to come together
or to offer their own personal contribution.
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The Creative Foundation's dedicated learning
space, Block 67, will be holding two free family
workshops in the build up to the event, in
addition to working with local schools and
community groups.
The public are also invited to explore an online
gallery of portraits of some of the men and
women who served in the First World War
and select someone to say a personal goodbye
to either via social media, or as they gather in
person on beaches on 11th November. The
images are drawn from the Imperial War
Museum’s Lives of the First World War
exhibition, which aims to tell eight-million
stories of those who served from Britain and
the Commonwealth. Visitors to the website
can also add portraits of members of their
family or community who contributed to the
First World War.
To get involved and find out more, please visit
www.pagesofthesea.org.uk.