In its second year, Wildwood Burn found a Wiltshire home for 2023. The new venue was chosen because it had several different fields, a wooded area and a ready made bar.
There were some challenges:
- Rainfall in the preceding weeks and during the build day led to the ground being very wet, and while we were able to navigate the soft ground to erect the extra communal structures in the main event field, we needed to source 3 trailer loads (approx 15 cubic metres) of wood chip to make the site accessible. We still had two breakdown vehicles in attendance to pull vans out and a full time team of volunteers helping to push and pull cars and live-in vehicles on arrival and strike days (no other viable parking alternatives were in the vicinity).
- Some urgent remedial work was also required to make the electricity supply safe and the gas-powered shower was not able to be fixed due to weather-related corrosion to the heating unit.
- There was some confusion between the two site owners as to our exclusive use of the site, leading to some uninvited visitors on the Saturday burn night, but this was resolved once the set-up was explained.
Site issues aside, the event had a full programme of activities: food-based (herring and salty liquorice appreciation, pancakes, brunch, Sunday roast, soft drinks bar), art/craft-based (badge-making, pom pom and head dresses, life drawing, effigy co-creation), music-based (kazoo orchestra, power ballad singalong, prog sessions), and other offerings such as quiz and celtic story-telling.
A 7-metre bell tent offered a dry and cosy space, and a grouping of three event shelters with hay bale seating provided an area for music, a sheltered dancing and a home for a mini version of costume camp which lent out funky clothing and props.
The nightly lamp lighting was a popular communal activity as well as the effigy burn on the Saturday night which was attended by all. The effigy itself had been co-created during the previous 2 days being made from scrap wood, copper, and discarded glass collected from the venue grounds and was inspired by the Japanese folklore entity, The Dodomeki.
Art was spread throughout the site, from bunting, signs, and lighting, to magnetic poetry displayed on a van, to a multi-person lumiphonica installation. The loos did not escape decoration either, with a family unit taking on their beautification.
There were 72 registered places (69 adults, 3 children) with a total of 56 participants arriving on site (aged from 2 to 70!) – the majority of people not able to attend citing mud and weather concerns. All volunteer shifts were filled, and this year we had two Responsible Adults (sober people, akin to rangers) on call for the entirety of the event.
A great turn out to the end of event review session very much considered Wildwood Burn 2023 to be a success! Indeed, there was probably more of a sense of community and collaboration as we worked together to deal with the unexpected trials. That said, we will be on a hunt for a new venue for 2024 🙂
Wildwood 2023 afterburn report with financial summary (PDF) >>