Finale: Green Space Dark Skies

A Countryfile special has been announced in partnership with BBC Nations which will tell the story of Green Space Dark Skies.

The one-off special will highlight the local volunteers, artists, community groups and places involved in the project, which aims to celebrate the countryside and connect people to the landscape, with a focus on the Finale.

Mark Murphy, the Director of the Finale, shares his vision for the event

Please note – this event has now taken place.

If you are looking for a physical challenge while making a stunning, light-based artwork on one of the four highest mountains in the UK – all to be broadcast as a prestigious BBC One Countryfile Special – then the Green Space Dark Skies Finale is the project for you.

We ask for three things – your time, your energy and your creativity. In return we will give you an enormously enriching day and night you’ll never forget. In more detail, after taking advantage of our free online fitness coaching programme (available soon), you will be asked to gather for one or two special days in September at a designated Base Camp location at the foot of the mountain.

Snowdonia at sunset, with a stream cutting through the landscape
Hikers travelling through a natural Valley at Scarfell Pike

From here, you will be briefed and trained in what we hope to achieve on the mountain. This will consist of familiarisation with your own Geolight (our low-impact, hand-held, programmable light) and then on a mark-out that mimics the shape of the paths and spaces we will be using later that evening, we create the simple walking patterns and movements under the expert tutelage of our Performance Captain team.

Then escorted every step of the way by a safety team comprising of mountain rescue personnel and qualified mountain guides, we will walk to our filming location high up on the mountain. Under the assured and friendly guidance of the performance captains, you will rehearse the simple movements created at the Base Camp but now at the actual locations alongside our camera team. And because this is a film shoot, each element may be rehearsed and viewed more than once which may mean some hanging around. But what a location to be hanging around in!

Slieve Donard at sunset

Photography courtesy of National Parks

Woman illuminated in red, holding a light in front of other women holding lights

Photo: André Pattenden

As the sun sets, the most important part of the day will then be upon us. With the Geolights changing colours, all the hard work will pay off as you perform the rehearsed elements while being filmed by a number of cameras including a drone flying above you. From on high, each of your individual lights become a collective carpet of bright pixels creating wave after wave of spectacular imagery.

Then as night fully falls and the shoot concludes, the final element of your action-packed day will be a very special, escorted descent down in the dark. And then of course, the short wait until your brilliant work is broadcast on a Sunday evening on the Countryfile Special to millions of people later this year!

So, join us for a once in a lifetime opportunity to make new friends while creating a stunning piece of art in an iconic mountain landscape that promises to be far greater than the sum of its parts. Inspired by our challenge?

Good. See you there!

Come and join us, book your place now.

Countryfile is produced by BBC Studios Factual Entertainment Productions. The Series Editor is Jane Lomas and Series Producer is Mark Beech.

Come and join us - book your place now

The Finale is the exciting culmination of Green Space Dark Skies’ series of 20 events across the UK, and will be broadcast in a BBC Countryfile special later this year.