Families will be able to step inside a giant immersive labyrinth of colour, light and live music this May half term as Colourscape arrives at Bath Recreation Ground for the first time.
Running from 23–31 May between 11am and 4.10pm, the large-scale installation will transform part of the Rec into a glowing maze of interconnected chambers filled with shifting colour, live music and performance. Spanning around an acre, the new version is approximately three times bigger than the one previously seen in Bath.
Created by artists Peter Jones and Lynne Dickens, Colourscape has toured internationally for more than 40 years. Visitors wear coloured cloaks as they move through the installation, where natural daylight creates constantly changing effects as colours merge and intensify around them.
Live musicians and performers appear throughout the labyrinth, creating a different experience for every visitor. There is no set route through the structure, allowing families to explore at their own pace while following music, performance and sound through the maze.
The opening weekend will feature improvisation and movement from multi-instrumentalist Sylvia Hallett and Korean flautist Hyelim Kim, alongside dancers guiding audiences through the installation. Concert guitarist Richard Durrant will also perform across the weekend.
During the week, the Voice Trio will perform a specially commissioned Colourscape work alongside baroque and contemporary vocal music, while Michael Ormiston will lead family-friendly workshops using instruments from across Asia.
The final weekend will include immersive performances from Ansuman Biswas and Beibei Wang, as well as a processional performance from Gamelan Kembang Kirang featuring Balinese gongs and chimes filling the entire structure.
The experience has been designed with families and accessibility in mind, including interactive workshops, live performances and a quieter final session each day
Each timed ticket allows visitors around 40 minutes inside the installation, with the freedom to quietly absorb the atmosphere or actively follow performers through the space.
Organisers say the experience has been designed with families and accessibility in mind, including interactive workshops, live performances and a quieter final session each day to create a more relaxed environment.
Alicia John, General Manager at Bath Recreation, said, “We’re very proud to support the return of Colourscape to Bath and the collaboration behind it, as organisations come together to create an unforgettable experience that brings creativity, joy and wellbeing.”
Jason Thornton, Director and Founder at Crescent Music, said, “At Crescent Music, we’re passionate about creating opportunities for people, especially young people, to experience music in new and accessible ways. Colourscape offers a unique environment where sound becomes something you can move through and interact with, a real feast for the senses!”
Jasmine Barker, Marketing and Audience Director at Bath Arts Collective, said, “We love bringing Bath audiences something a little bit different, not just a sit-and-watch experience, but something you can step into and be part of. Colourscape is exactly that. It’s playful, immersive and open to everyone, with the freedom to wander, follow the music or simply pause and take it all in.”
Tickets cost £15 for adults and £12 for children aged 12 and under, with under twos going free. More information is available via Bath Arts
