Action alchemists from adaptable Area 51 have proven their versatility time and time again by providing stellar festival experiences for kids as they conquer one of Britain’s most renowned events.
Known for offering mind-melting adult entertainment solutions, the company regularly turns its hand to providing kid-friendly, fun performances and working at Camp Bestival is great proof of that.
Area 51’s massively popular Igor Rasputin and the Caravan of Lost Souls alternative pop-up show was born again as a stunning child-friendly circus for the annual summer event which is held in the opulent surroundings of the Elizabethan Lulworth Castle on the Jurassic coastline of southern England.
The caravan’s usual repertoire of twisted circus performance delights was remixed for family consumption and has even featured children of some of its star performers from time to time.
Camp Bestival was initially launched in 2008 as the little sister of Bestival by radio DJ Rob da Bank and has since won innumerable awards, targeting at festival-going families with small children.
When the event adopted space as its theme, Area 51’s responded by recruiting a bunch of interstellar aliens to entertain – artists using recently commissioned extraterrestrial costumes that were unveiled to the public and enhanced the event’s celestial topic.
Area 51 performers provided interactive, mix-and-mingle characters in costume while the Caravan of Lost Souls rocked up on site to wow festival-goers with a wide range of eclectic acts offering an array of skills, ranging from magic and mime to contortion, juggling, foot archery, hula hoop, music and a host of circus skills.
Among those many performers working on the chimp-powered caravan have been The Mighty Gareth, maverick musician Bill Brookman and his assistant Madeline, circus star Matt Lemon, contortionist Beth Sykess, Danish performer Mikkel Buda Svak of Quirk, magician Sav and hula-hoops expert Amy Guernier.
Thirty Area 51 performers also starred on the Shady Lady pirate stage as well as taking the spotlight on the epic carnival parades.
And the company was on hand to help festival revellers celebrate the end of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown at Camp Bestival.
The internationally-acclaimed Caravan of Lost Souls was drafted at late notice as the green light for the event came late in the day due to government concerns.
But the award-winning family-friendly festival was back firing on all cylinders with a stunning programme of entertainment for all ages and with a theme of movies. Area 51 acts were on hand to help legendary Madchester icon Bez from the Happy Mondays kick off the fun on the opening day with a keep fit session on the main stage and also took part in various parades throughout the weekend.
