Joe GallopSomerset House is to host the first edition of This Bright Land – a new cultural festival that will feature a day-and-night programme of performances, music, dance, talks, and workshops in the venue’s open-air courtyard.
Created in collaboration with Somerset House Studios artists Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl, This Bright Land will take place from 1-29 August and will aim to platform both established creatives and grassroots communities.
The event will feature weekend takeovers of performance, music and celebration, including themed Saturday night open-air Vogue Balls, staged in collaboration with Vogue Rites, London’s weekly voguing night.
The event will include a “wonder garden” in partnership with Jo Malone London, featuring floral pathways and unique sensory breakout spaces. As well as a “futuristic clubhouse” in partnership with M·A·C Cosmetics, designed by Automated Architecture (AUAR).
The event will also display a 35m Observation Wheel offering views of London’s city skyline, accompanied by an audio commission. It will also feature weekly family-friendly activities, including street parties every Sunday and treasure hunts.
A “pop-up experiential zone” powered by Forest Essentials, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Dr.Jart+, Aveda and Origins, will be in the courtyard, featuring installations and complimentary light treatments. Street food curated by Black Eats LDN and cocktails from the Bombay Sapphire bar will be on offer.
Somerset House head of producing Sophie Hewlett said, “We’ve relished the opportunity to collaborate with two brilliant Somerset House Studios artists, Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl, to bring a shared vision of this celebration of community and culture to life. One of the most exciting things about this project is that it has enabled us to work with a host of creatives, communities and new partners to share in designing and programming an event that puts togetherness at its heart.”