2-9pm Sat 25th Sept
2-5pm Sun 26th Sept

Murrays Monument, A712,
Nr Newton Stewart,
Dumfries and Galloway.
DG8 7BL

Sanctuary 2017 is located on the A712, 7 miles from Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway. (See location map below)The site runs on each side of a small road. On one side is Murrays Monument and the HQ of The Dark Outside FM (a 5 minute walk to the top – great views) and known as the ‘upstairs’ of Sanctuary. ‘Downstairs’ there is a short walk to The Grey Mares Tail waterfall and the rest of the site which you’ll be able to explore.

This year’s theme is ‘SPOOR’ which means ‘to follow the track or scent of an animal or person’, or in the case of Sanctuary, an artwork. We are embedding artworks across the site which will be camouflaged and need to be tracked and uncovered. We hope to engage people in a deeper way with the site and with new ways of experiencing it.

This year Sanctuary is a day / early evening event and there will be none of the usual facilities on site. There’ll be exciting artworks embedded throughout the site to find, friendly artists and volunteers to help guide you and a fire in the evening, but you will need to bring everything else that you need to make your visit comfortable; food, water etc. Please come prepared : see the ‘What to Bring’ link below.

The event will see artists from far and wide coming together with others based in the region. Artworks include:

• filigree traces by Louise Harris, a site-specific, participative walking-in-sound work. Visitors will be given a roll of music box paper on which to document their journey through the park in whatever way they wish; they can then play these at each of the specially constructed music boxes located around the site.
• Strange Loop by Jamie Wardrop and Sita Pieraccini is an alternative mapping of the landscape. Through the use of live stream digital microscopes and improvisation through sound and video, they will invite visitors to will craft live compositions which reveal the hidden worlds of materials collected from the site.
• Field Lines by Rachel Rosen & Professor Andy Newsam is an interactive artwork made by the motion of the participants as they are guided and influenced by both visible and dark matter. Everyone one taking part will create their own track that marks a single ‘observation’ and which will map out the distorted spacetime of Sanctuary and provide the clues to the nature of the dark matter.

All the events and workshops are suitable for families. For some it would be useful to book prior to arriving. These are:

Strange Loop: Jamie Wardrop and Sita Pieraccini

44:A Tarot for Sietse Van Erve: Ruaridh Law

Booking details will be available from 1st September so please check back then.

The event is very friendly and please do get involved; talk to people, ask questions, add your ideas and thoughts, help out…….

IMPORTANT: PLEASE CLICK THROUGH ON ‘WHAT TO BRNG’ above.
Please note there is limited mobile reception.  Friendly dogs on leads are welcome. (.. and there will be portable toilets)

Sanctuary takes place in the Galloway Forest Dark Skies Park and we keep lighting to a minimum to preserve the essential nature of the park. Please remember to bring a torch if you intend to stay after dark.

There other attractions within walking distance such as the Rosnes Benches by Dalziel + Scullion and QUORUM by Matt Baker. The Wigtown Book Festival is a short drive away. Full programme at: https://www.wigtownbookfestival.com/ See the below link for full details of the other attractions.

Please click though on the above link for all information on the location of Sanctuary and travel information.

If you have any specific questions about access please e mail us: hellosanctuarylab@gmail.com

COVID. We are following gov guidelines regarding covid and all artworks have been designed to be safe. This is an outdoor event so you will be able to keep your distance from others if you wish. All artists and volunteers will have carried out a test before arriving on site.

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“After lockdown, it is great to regroup and refocus on making new experiences for audiences and bring work to a festival that cares about experimental ways of thinking‘ Jamie Wardrop. Artist

“This event is one of the most out-there and truly experimental creative spaces I have had the privilege to be part of. I can’t wait to be back” Rachel Rosen. Artist

“Coming here is an adventure for us and we like the event. It’s really cool. We really enjoyed playing a piece of music never heard before, and never to be repeated.” Geoff Barrow. DROKK / Portishead – Sanctuary 2014

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