9 May 2012
Visitors get a chance to explore Eastbourne’s historic Redoubt Fortress this weekend with torchlit tours, star gazing, charming fairytale animations and a special performance piece celebrating the museum’s current art installation.
At the special evening event on Saturday 12 May, visitors will be able to join hourly torchlit tours to discover hidden highlights and see the museum and its collections in a different light.
Up on the gun platform, budding astronomers can join Eastbourne Astronomical Society for an exploration of the night sky. The free event begins with an illustrated talk, followed by an evening of star gazing through the society’s fascinating telescopes after 8pm as it gets dark.
Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet Member for Tourism, Cllr Neil Stanley said “This is a great opportunity to explore one of our most historic buildings at its most atmospheric time of the day. Just one of a packed and varied programme of events here at the Redoubt, this year we’re giving residents and visitors many more reasons to visit again and again to discover more facets to this fascinating fortress.”
Also celebrating the theme of shadows after dark, Filmspot presents a series of charming fairytale films by Lotte Reiniger, perfect just before bedtime. The 10 minute black and white animations made in 1954 feature silhouettes with charming narrations and music, and tell the stories of classic tales The Magic Horse, The Ant and the Grasshopper and Cinderella. After the film viewers can try their hand at bringing their own Little Red Riding Hood shadow puppets to life.
The evening also includes a short 10 minute performance piece of the ethereal Visitor in the Redoubt by Clare Whistler, the co-curator behind the current art installation The Visitor. This will be an exciting climax to the popular exhibition, and gives enthusiasts a last opportunity to see the works before they come to a close on Sunday.
The event runs from 7pm - 10pm on Saturday 12 May and all activities are free with normal museum admission price. Torchlit tours run at 7.15pm, 8.15pm and 9.15pm.
For more information visit the Redoubt website or telephone 01323 410300.
