Culture, Events & Entertainment | Posted on September 26th, 2025 | return to news

Inside Out Dorset art festival hailed as ‘extraordinary’

The 10-day festival saw artists work with communities to transform locations across Dorset, including Corfe Castle.

A 10-day art festival that saw performances and installations transform five different locations across Dorset has been called ‘extraordinary’ by organisers.

Held from Friday 12 to Sunday 21 September, the festival brought together people from all over the county and beyond. Artists worked with community groups and local people to create the artworks, including a giant artwork on the slopes beneath Corfe Castle, dance performances in Christchurch, and a sound-based art installation in Moors Valley Country Park.

Kate Wood and Bill Gee, co-artistic directors of the festival, which returns in 2027 to celebrate its 20th anniversary, were pleased with the reactions they had received. They said: “We were so moved by the audience feedback to the performances and installations. Seeing the exceptional results of the work that many artists have made with hundreds of people from Dorset, Yeovil and the New Forest presented across these stunning sites over the past two weeks has been extraordinary.

“We want to thank everyone who has made it possible – all the groups that participated, the artists, funders, volunteers, partners, team and everyone who came out and joined us.”

The festival opened in Christchurch Quay with ‘River of Hope’, an art installation of around 80 flags and sails, with artwork created by students from Gillingham School, QE School in Wimborne, Twynham and The Grange Schools in Christchurch, The Burgate School in Fordingbridge and Ringwood School. It also featured a contemporary dance piece called ‘We Rise’ by Dorset Youth Dance.

Meanwhile, a new giant to rival the Cerne Abbass Giant was put on display during the festival. ‘Consequences’ was created by artist Becca Gill’s Radical Ritual company with the input of local groups. It was unveiled at Cerne Abbas, then moved to Summerhouse Hill in Yeovil and finally to Corfe Castle.

Throughout the festival, Moors Valley Country Park and Forest had played host to ‘Canopy: – 24 Ideas About Trees’, the latest installation by artist Lorna Rees in which 24 listening pods formed a woodland adventure trail. Each pod housed a unique sound world created from the stories and sounds Lorna collected in a series of community workshops with local schools and groups in which participants were invited to respond to the woods.