Sara Bowler

Goonhilly Village Green 2015

Goonhilly Village Green couldn't have gone better. We were blessed with a beautiful warm sunny day and were delighted to welcome around 300 people to the event. Sound duo, Liminal, created a magnificent temporary bell tower that rang out compositions created by children from the Lizard's Keskowethyans Academy on the previous day, during workshops designed specifically for the youngsters to explore and learn about the Downs.

The 'village green', mown out of the heath, resonated with laughter and activities, from willow workshops, archaeological tours, hand bell ringing, dancing, delicate face painting and a tug-o-war, nourished by local food and drink. Meanwhile, in the Happidrome, a fascinating array of speakers shared their knowledge about the history of Goonhilly, Helston Folk Museum, the painter John Tunnard, the past present and future of the satellite earth station and the unacknowledge dangers of light pollution to flora and fauna, including ourselves. Each person had specific insights relating to the Downs and the Lizard peninsular that grounded their talks into the location, revealing further insight and understanding of the area.

Arising out of the Happidrome series of exhibitions and events, Goonhilly Village Green was an exploration and public celebration of a unique location on the Lizard Peninsular in Cornwall. Funded by Arts Council England and the Environment & Sustainability Institute at Exeter University, we partnered with Natural England and GES Ltd on the site and were supported by Field Notes, the National Trust, Cornwall Segway, Wattstor, Cornwall 365 and Falmouth University students.

Full details of all those taking part at https://goonhillyvillagegreen.org/goonhilly-village-green-2015/