Created by video artist Gareth Hudson & sound artist Jack Burton, both from County Durham, and with music from Manja Ristic, from Serbia, the piece was one of two Arts Council funded commissions for the 7th Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival, which took place in September of this year.
The film – entitled ‘Penumbra’, referring to a partial shadow which causes an eclipse, was a (mostly) black & white, motion graphic tale of the Berwick legend of Jimmy Strength, who, according to folklore, was the local strongman, had 26 children to 6 different wives, and lived to the grand old age of 115.
The animation was commissioned especially for the Festival, and was projected in high definition, and on a huge scale, onto the face of the newly restored 250-year old Dewar’s Lane Granary building, using the latest in mapping technology.
The projection premiered on the opening night of the Festival, Friday 23rd September, as part of a reception held at the YHA Café at Dewar’s Lane Granary, and was seen by over 400 people over the course of the weekend.
You can see the video from the first ever screening of Penumbra here.
The Festival would like to thank the artists Gareth & Jack for being brilliant to work with, the YHA for the use of the location, the Collaborators for the big, (beautiful!) projector, Jack Drum Arts for the audio kit, Steve Holmes, Dan Brown & Chris Marsden for tech support, Arts Council England for funding the commission, and Arpeggio Films for filming the live projection for keeps!