AN exciting six-week programme of exhibitions and lectures exploring man?s relationship with the natural environment is due to be launched this spring, with a special ceremony involving a seven-foot high Dartmoor granite sculpture. The Sacred Footprints Project, developed by Peninsula Arts at Plymouth University, will include events in and around Tavistock and starts with the moving of the Dartmoor granite to Morwellham Quay, from where it will be taken by boat to Plymouth. It is due to be erected on a grass mound in front of the university at the opening ceremony on April 22. In association with the project, Tavistock Music Festival will be running a workshop at the Molly Owen Centre for anyone who wants to be involved in creating a dawn chorus celebration to be held at Merrivale stone circle at sunrise on May Day. The event will be followed by a breakfast accompanied by story telling and music and is being led by Tavistock?s deputy mayor, Cllr Caroline Keane. Cllr Keane said: ?The dawn chorus will involve music and singing ? a young Arab has written some music for it. This isn?t about sandals and beads ? it?s a dynamic and different celebration involving music, probably created by young people.? In addition, the Tavistock and Villages Iniative (TAVI) group is holding a meeting to encourage the local community and businesses to join together under the Footprints banner. Cllr Keane said: ?The meeting will investigate how we can best welcome visitors to our area during the six weeks of the Sacred Footprints project, in a way which preserves the integrity of the landscape and creates a standard of sustainable tourism excellence on which to build in future years. ?The meeting is for anybody who can offer something and gain something from a really focussed period of time, when we will be attracting visitors to this area from all over the world.? The meeting takes place on Thursday February 3 at the borough council?s Kilworthy Hill offices. Sacred Footprints will include exhibitions and lectures investigating the ancient art of dowsing, stone carrying and journeying, sacred geometry and architecture, which will focus on man?s imprint on the landscape, from pilgrimage to building in harmony with the natural lay of the land. Lectures will include information on how the ancient earth wisdom of the North American Indian culture is being used in modern industrial development in the US, and in Britain, where sacred geometry is playing an important role in emergent architecture and design. Cllr Keane said Sacred Footprints was an international event sparking interest from all over the world. ?Sacred Footprints and Tavistock Music Festival, alongside the Charter celebrations, are providing an opportunity for Tavistock and the market towns to become actively engaged in creating our own distinctive part of the bigger picture of cultural and sustainable tourism,? she said. Anyone interested in the dawn chorus workshop, the TAVI meeting or Sacred Footprints in general should call Caroline Keane on 01822 610546 or e-mail [email protected]">[email protected]
