As The Enchanted Forest (29th September – Sunday 30th October) gears up for its astonishing 20th anniversary, we chat to the creative team behind Scotland’s multi-award-winning sound and light event.
- What can people expect when they visit The Enchanted Forest, how would you describe the experience?
In a word? Magical! Our aim is to set visitors’ imaginations alight through the transformation of the forest into an awe-inspiring playground, using dazzling visuals and innovative design, all choreographed against an original music score. The event itself is a combination of many different experiences coming together to create one big spectacle, using the magnificent Faskally Woods as a natural backdrop.
- How long does an event of this kind take to organise behind the scenes, and what is involved in the process?
There is a huge amount of work involved in organising the show, which starts at the end of the preceding year’s run when people can pre-buy tickets for the following year’s event. This activity builds momentum as the year goes on with key milestones being the release of tickets to the public in the summer. In order for the show to run smoothly, it requires a team of over 100 people, including 80 event staff who work for the duration of the show.
- What part of the event do you personally look forward to the most?
The best part of the event is opening night, where months of hard work and dedication come together to create something truly magical. It’s fantastic to see it all come to life. The most exciting thing is to see visitors start arriving and to experience their reactions. Over and above everything we want to give people a great, memorable experience.
- How do you select the creative talents who help devise the theme and then bring it to life?
The Enchanted Forest has been running for twenty years and many of the team have been on board since the event’s inception. This means they have gained years of knowledge and experience in how to deliver a truly amazing sound and light show that continues to impress year on year. We are also not shy of bringing in new expertise to enable to the event to continue to be at the cutting edge of innovation, so visitors want to come back time and again.
- How does The Enchanted Forest complement and take influence from its surroundings?
We have always been keen to ensure that the event has minimal impact on the beautiful environment in which it operates, and the wildlife who call Faskally Wood their home. Instead, we work with the natural environment, aiming to enhance its beauty through the lights and sounds used. Faskally Woods used to welcome around 80,000 visitors annually. Thanks to the event’s popularity and success, over 160,000 people now visit every year, encouraging more and more people to embrace Scotland’s magnificent woodlands.
- How has the event evolved over the last 20 years?
The Enchanted Forest was set up by Forestry and Land Scotland in 2002 in a push to encourage more people to use woodlands as a place for recreation and to raise the profile of Perthshire. Since that first event, which attracted 3,000 visitors, these goals have been met and exceeded with The Enchanted Forest now one of Scotland’s biggest and most popular Autumn outdoor events.
Twenty years later the focus remains on encouraging people to get out into the forest and enjoy a magical experience. Because the show has become more and more popular over the years, it has fuelled us to make the event better every year and explore the different ways in which people connect with nature.
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