Chatsworth House 2025
A Midwinter's Dream
Inspired by the enchanted feel, the floral setting and the spritely characters of A Midsummer Night’s Dream we propose to create a journey of poetic installations that invite visitors to feel like they’ve stepped into a living, surreal fairy tale for all ages, where the garden and house are full of dormant characters that have come to life to reveal the hidden magic of nature in its quietest season.
Narrative:
On the coldest winter nights, when the garden falls into silence, some of Chatsworth’s fairies have escaped their winter sanctuary in the Oak Room. As the sprites roam through the house and gardens, visitors follow their shimmering trails to discover how they have awakened Chatsworth’s features; statues and portraits come to life, dormant trees whisper secrets and mythical creatures like mermaids and dragons guide the way.
At the journey’s end, the cast of fairies and their shimmering fairy dust assemble into a mesmerising choreography on the iconic facade of Chatsworth House —a mesmerising, scintillating display of dancing fairies, twinkling star dust and silvery flowers trailing the features of the facade. Winter is not still; it’s alive with unseen energy waiting to be uncovered.
Oak Room Fairy Cabinet
(holographic fairies inside jam jars)
The Oak Room is home to a grand Victorian display cabinet, serving as a winter sanctuary for Chatsworth's garden fairies. During the cold months, this cozy haven shelters them from the chill outside. Some fairies can be seen fluttering inside jam jars, while others have left their jars empty, venturing out to explore the house and spread their magic.
Incidental Fairies
(fairies projected onto various walls, nooks and niches)
Now that the fairies are "out of the bag," they emerge as a whimsical leitmotif, ready to be discovered throughout the house and gardens. They flit across as projections above door frames, sprinkling fairy dust onto visitors as they pass. By plant pots, they tend the soil with a playful touch. And while beside portraits, they shoot Cupid's arrows, breathing life into the characters depicted. These Chatsworth fairies engage in delightful activities, their presence scattered across the building wherever projectors can be placed.
Fairies in Jars
(holographic fairies projected into jam jars inside small freestanding cabinets)
The motif from the Oak Room, where fairies reside in jam jars, is echoed throughout the building with smaller freestanding fairy cabinets. These specially designed cabinets house and conceal the projectors to enhance the illusion that the fairies are truly alive and magical.
Chapel Marble Animation
(projection mapping onto large marble feature)
Christmas and fairies conjure a world of sparkle, glitter, and magic. In the Chapel, the fairies have left behind a delicate cloud of shimmering fairy dust, which weaves its way along the intricate marble carvings. The result is a mesmerizing display of dancing, glimmering trails of light and glitter, tracing and accentuating the details of the Chapel's marble relief.
Oak Stairs Talking Portraits
(projection of talking portraits onto empty canvases)
It seems the fairies' magic has awakened other characters in the building. The portraits on the Oak Stairs have come to life, engaging in lively chatter as they reminisce about Christmases past and present at Chatsworth.
Wishing Tree Paper Animation
(projection of paper vortices onto walls and/or ceiling)
Writing a wish on a small piece of paper and hanging it on a tree is a cherished Christmas tradition at Chatsworth. This year, however, a touch of magical, spritely power sweeps the wishes from the tree into a celestial vortex, carrying them heavenward and ensuring everyone's dreams have a chance to come true.
Great Chamber Talking Fire
(holographic projection of talking fire character)
In the fireplace of the Great Chamber, a sprite has sparked a talking fire and its flickering flames begin to spin reminiscent tales of Christmases long past. With a warm, crackling voice, it captivates visitors, sharing secrets of the house and the magic that sweeps through its chimneys at this time of the year.
South Sketch Gallery Flower Paintings
(projection of blooming flower still lives onto empty canvases)
During the summertime, the Chatsworth fairies thrive in the gardens, but in winter, though warm and cozy indoors, they long for their familiar flowery surroundings. To recreate the magic of nature, they perch beside flower pots but they also sprinkle fairy dust onto flower paintings to unfold their beauty in mesmerizing, fast-forward bloom.
Library Gauze Projection
(large holographic projection of fairy and books)
A fairy with an intellectual curiosity has made the library their playground. Wielding their trail of fairy dust like a magic wand, they sweep books and papers from the shelves into a swirling dance and transform the floral patterns of the carpet into a blooming indoor garden scene.
Sculpture Gallery Talking Statues
(projection of faces onto statue heads)
In a large gallery of silent heads, where no voice has ever spoken, the fairies have awakened even more characters. Some ancient busts now murmur softly, offering a fragment of ancient wisdom or a whispered sweet nothing as visitors make their way out of the house.
Dining Room Ceiling Animation
(projection mapping onto ceiling plasterwork)
Another world of Christmas sparkle, glitter, and magic unfolds in the dining room: true to form, the fairies have scattered a cloud of shimmering fairy dust that gently caresses the plasterwork flowers on the ceiling. As the dust gathers into shimmering trails, the flowers glimmer and transform into a mesmerizing kaleidoscopic display, reflected in the mirror-like surface of the table below.
Ring Pond Mermaids
(holographic projection of mermaids into ring pond)
As visitors step into the garden, they stumble upon a realm teeming with even more enchanted creatures. Gazing into the ring pond, they uncover that the garden is home not only to fairies but also to mermaids.
Ring Pond Herms
(projection of faces onto garden busts)
The fairies' magic that awakens silent characters inside the house, has now reached their familiar habitat in the garden. Around the ring pond, they have brought the Herms to life, where they have gathered into a heavenly choir, delighting visitors with a festive Christmas carol and a little bit of celestial bickering.
Talking Trees
(projection of faces onto tree trunks)
The ancient trees at Chatsworth have witnessed countless events at the twilight hour, secrets that no historian has be able to record. As an antidote to the flighty fairies, they are rooted and speak with deep, resonant voices, steeped in the wisdom of centuries. As they embody the patience of nature and the quiet calm so necessary at Christmas, they speak to visitors through a gentle rustling of leaves, as if the wintery wind was woven into their breath...
Talking Rocks
(projection of faces onto rocks)
On the grand stage of the Rock Garden, a few thespian rocks have seized the chance to play a role in Chatsworth's Midwinter Dream. With a low, rumbling tone that echoes like a grumble from deep within the earth, they add a touch of mystery and suspense to an otherwise quite sparkly experience.
Broad Walk Gauze Projection
(projection of sprites and dragons onto gauze screens)
Where tiny fairies and graceful mermaids dwell, there must also be majestic dragons. Indeed, Chatsworth is home to a friendly dragon, and on magical midwinter nights, this gentle guardian of the garden can be seen wandering through the trees along the broad walk.
Facade Animation
(projection mapping onto Chatsworth facade)
At the journey's end, the fairies and their shimmering fairy dust come together in a musical choreography on the iconic facade of Chatsworth House — a dazzling finale of twirling and dancing fairy silhouettes, sparkling stardust, and silvery flowers tracing the architecture.
