"It's been ten years of connecting, chatting, meeting brilliant new people, dancing all night to awesome tunes. Planet Angel isn't just about having fun at the best Party in town - it's about old friends and new, getting involved, unexpected coincidences, forging new connections, sparking new ideas, giving creativity and friendship a chance to flourish. No wonder so many of you have amazing stories to tell.
"For the X-Party, Helen Lambert and Deirdre Ruane - both longterm PA regulars - are turning your memories into a constellation of hanging lanterns for you to explore and enjoy. Wander among slowly spinning planets of all shapes and sizes, each glowing with its own inner light, and see if you can spot your own favourite moments from Planet Angel's history. Text and art will intertwine to commemorate the most special and magical moments of the last ten years. Chill out under the rainbow light display, point out familiar scenes to your friends, discover new stories and remember old ones.
"Every community has its own folklore - the stories that share our collective experience and offer inspiration for the future. Memory Glow celebrates some of those stories."
We collected people's stories by handing around a notebook at Planet Angel, and by posting on the forum asking for contributions. We also incorporated answers to a questionnaire sent out a couple of years previously, asking party people how Planet Angel had affected them. The story collection we amassed ranged from heartwarming to hilarious, and told the story of a community which had inspired them, helped them develop, provided friends and good times, and changed their lives for for the better. It made powerful reading.
Ten lanterns were constructed using fine Chinese papers and willow withies - one for each year, although we selected the stories for each lantern thematically rather than chronologically. They were decorated by hand using copic markers, each image inspired by a memory or story we'd been told. We tried to tell the stories honestly, letting people's own words and imagery shine through. The ten themes were: dancefloor moments, from dusk till dawn (the diurnal cycle of Planet Angel), circus skills, friends and connections, Happenings (live performances), toys and games, quirky and silly stories, DJ stories, mystical experiences, and 'Planet' Angel - our vision of a whole world that looked like the Planet Angel events and community.
The lanterns were lit with blue LED lights and rigged on the night of the X-Party for a one-off, one-night-only commemorative installation. Accompanying the installation were bound copies of a storybook collating highlights from the stories we'd collected, presented in a framework of original fiction by Chris Naden.At the end of the night the installation was de-rigged and each lanterns given to an individual who had contributed significantly to the Planet Angel X-Party.
Thanks to the residents of the Gentlemen's Club and Malcolm and Ruth for housing the project while we were working on it; to Kathryn for providing chauffeur services above and beyond the call of duty; to Denny for filming the video at the top of this page; to Pete for trusting us; and to Deirdre for being a co-conspirator par excellence.
(all images © (c) their respective photographers.)
Photos by Anna Davison:
Photos by Dan Nu'Cem:
Photos by Justin South:
Photos by Glenn Dunwell: