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Festival to celebrate power of fire and lightning

Stuart RustSouth of England
News imageLords of Lightning A person covered entirely by a red glittery body suit is pictured with their back to the camera with both arms raised in the air. Bright white-blue lighting bolts appear to burst from their hands against a background of total darkness. Lords of Lightning
Frequency Rider by Lords of Lightning involves a performer harnessing millions of volts of electricity to create a "breathtaking visual and sonic experience"

Fire-breathing dragons and lightning bolts will be part of a spectacular series of performances set to dazzle audiences this autumn.

Arts by the Sea - a free festival featuring music, art installations, dance and street theatre - will return to Bournemouth's Lower Gardens for the 16th time in September.

This year's "ELEMENTAL" theme will see performers utilising the power of the elements after the sun sets on the event.

This year's headline act, Frequency Rider by Lords of Lightning, involves a performer in a special chainmail suit interacting with four million volts of electricity.

News imageSteamship Circus A woman with pink hair is picture in profile looking up into the sky and breathing a burst of fire into the air. In her hand she is holding a lit torch. The picture is taken outside on a sunny day and spectators can be seen in the background. Steamship Circus
Bournemouth-based collective Steamship Circus perform choreographed displays featuring circus skills and fire breathing

Festival director Andrea Francis said: "Fire has always brought people together. It's a source of warmth, storytelling, celebration and transformation and it sits right at the heart of this year's theme.

"We're creating an experience that captures that sense of collective wonder, whether audiences are gathering around a fire performance, watching lightning dance across the night sky or encountering a fire-breathing dragon."

Paka the Uncredible, another of the events performers, will display mechanical animatronic characters including Rusty the Horse and Elsie the Dragon.

Elsie has 36 distinct body movements and is capable of producing bursts of fire and smoke.

Steamship Circus, a Bournemouth-based collective, will also present a series of fire performances across both evenings, featuring choreographed displays of flame, movement and circus skills.

Andy Martin, cabinet member for culture at Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council described the festival as "world-class".

News imagePaka the Uncredible A large dragon constructed out of large metallic beams and pipes is pictured at night. Fire is bursting out of its muzzle, with lit flames also at the tip of each of its wings. It is night time, and the tops of trees can be seen in the background. Paka the Uncredible
Paka the Uncredible will be bringing Elsie the Dragon - a large fire-breathing animatronic dragon - to the event

"The festival's after-dark programme has become a real highlight for audiences and we're delighted to be welcoming these incredible performances to the town centre as part of another exciting year for Arts by the Sea," he said.

The event, on 25 and 26 September, was founded by the council and receives regular funding from Arts Council England.

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