Wilderness, 4-5th August

A huge thank you to Wilderness and The Family Field for hosting us this year, especially to @elissa_gold_ our programmer.

We were fortunate to receive a glowing review from author of Lonely Planet A Year of Festivals James Bainbridge who loved the show and sent us this:

A whimsical highlight of Wilderness Festival 2023 was found in the Family Field, where The Enchanted Cinema invited festival children to bring to life the Japanese animation My Neighbour Totoro with a host of sound effects. A ragtag band led by musicians Kieron and Gareth filled the evening air between rainstorms with the atmospheric creak of an old porch, a gurgling river, a child falling inside a tree and banging her head, croaking frogs and splashing raindrops. From a Tom & Jerry-style vibraslap player to the mini xylophone ensemble who appeared from nowhere, the kids on stage and in “the pit” all seemed to learn their instruments at light speed.

The event was a favourite among both children and parents, encouraging the newbie orchestra to experience some fun and unusual instruments as they scored the magical animated scenes. Offering an opportunity to slow down and enjoy a creative version of ‘screen time’, whistle-stop rehearsals led to a buzzing performance – the crowd even cheered a cymbal player, who beat the exact time for an animated character running into a bush.

Experience the interactive workshops on tour from October as part of #orchestraofenchantedsounds at Hallr Wood (Somerset), Croyde Village Hall (Devon), JW3, Horniman Museum, The Bright Foundation (Hastings),  The Spring (Havant), & the Royal Albert Hall. Find out more at www.thecabinetoflivingcinema.org.uk .

James Bainbridge (Author – Lonely Planet’s A Year of Festivals)