Dream a little Dream Afrika Burn 2022

Dream a little dream is an honorarium project for Afrika Burn 2022. When the event was cancelled in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 virus, we extended the project to the following year. We are now only going to be able to complete the project in 2022, given the lockdown in many countries across the planet and the closure of international borders. And now off course, dependent on the rate of vaccinations that will allow us some degree of normality one day.

The dream aspect exemplifies all the emotions and thoughts that we imagine goes through people's minds when they experience Afrika Burn. Where do all these incredible ideas come from? What initiates them? What if? Is this possible? How do dreams begin? What plants the seed? They all start as dreams.
My early inspiration began with a song from the 1930's, and it involves my mother, who sang it on her first album, "A taste of Sherry". Made famous by the Mamas and the Papa's in the late 60's, it's also a love song and a wish of protection.
The evening sky in the Tankwa is one of the darkest places on earth. Night really falls there, virtually free from pollution, including light pollution, natural atmospheric pollution, and man-made pollution. Celestial objects that you can't see in an urban environment are now available to the naked eye. It's one of the increasingly rare dark sky sanctuaries in the world, and our largest astronomical observatory is less than 100kms away.
The sky is spiritually and culturally significant to the ǂKhomani Sān, one of the world’s oldest ‘First People’, whose culture is full of sky-lore: tales of the sun, moon, stars, galaxies. Maintaining dark skies is a cultural imperative for the Sān, as part of their efforts to preserve their traditions and to teach and transfer them to the younger generations. With this in mind, our installation took its lighting cue.

During the day it stands in the desert as a sentence, absorbing UV rays. As the darkness falls it becomes bioluminescent, a unique, zero-energy solution that transforms into a light-responsive, sustainable emitting light for up to 10 hours.

THE MONEY AND WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH IT
The total cost of the project is budgeted at R80,000. We have been awarded a creative grant from the team at Afrika Burn, but it's not enough as yet. The core of the project was donated - over a ton of reclaimed wood. All the labour to build it has been done by us at no cost whatsoever. (it’s us every weekend for us) The finished work will be 34 meters in length. We are driving the 17 letters up to the Tankwa ourselves to avoid commercial transport costs.

This leaves us the bio-luminescent aggregate and the UV stabilized epoxy resin as a remaining cost.

ARE WE BURNING IT? ABSOLUTELY NOT:-)
Dream a little dream was designed to live on for another 10-15 years, providing an energy-free solution to practical way-finding and lighting.

DREAM CREW
Me as the creative lead, Bruce and Nanette van der Meulen, Sarah Murchison and Clive Little, Anton Fourie and Karen Knox, John and Sally Macey, Tammy Fourie and Mark Brouwer, Jeremy Kornblum, Carina Ebling, Linda Pledger-Eedes, Rolien Brink, Scott Waterhouse, Saskia Fromme, Mara Bauer, Bettina Widmann and finally the man who invented Starpath himself, Hamish Scott.

For more information check out our Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dreamalittledream2022/
Reclaimed wood 2,5m x 34m, with resin and eco-pellets. Created and permanently installed for AfrikaBurn 2022 - Quaggafontein Tankwa Karoo, South Africa.