Women of the Dark Skies (for women participants)

A mystical and powerful nighttime storytelling pilgrimage, walking in the footsteps of the Iron Age ancestors of the Cranborne Chase. Women of the Dark Skies is a mystical and powerful nighttime storytelling pilgrimage, inviting you to walk in the footsteps of the Iron Age ancestors of the Cranborne Chase. Note: this gathering is for all women, including trans women. THE STORY There was a time when the women of these ancient lands had power, freedom and equality. Until it was brutally taken from them... You are invited to travel back nearly 2,000 years to be part of the Durotriges tribe, the people who once lived on these vast chalk lands. You will gather as night falls, in the Valley of the Winter Lake, to honour Arla the Hare Runner, on the eve of her coming-of-age ceremony. You will meet the local Story Weaver, Birch of the Hill, who will lead you on a magical pilgrimage across the dark landscape to hear the story of Arla’s journey from child to woman. However, the Story Weaver brings word that an uprising against the Romans is being seeded by a formidable Iceni warrior woman. As Rome threatens to extinguish your freedom and culture, will you heed the call to keep the powerful lore of your lands alive? THE EXPERIENCE Women of the Dark Skies is an immersive storytelling pilgrimage, walking at night over the ancient landscape that surrounds the village of Chettle in North Dorset. This elemental event will take you back in time to late Iron Age Dorset, at the time of the Roman invasion and offers a unique opportunity to experience the wonder of the Cranborne Chase’s famous dark skies. This is a transformative experience combining storytelling, night walking, ritual, history, nature connection, stargazing, feminism and spirituality. The route will be approximately 4 miles, with stops along the way for story telling. During the pilgrimage, we are inviting you to walk in silence, without the use of torches, to allow a fully immersive experience of this historic landscape at night. We know that many people attending, particuarly women, have never walked at night without a torch and therefore the evening has been carefully planned to ensure participants are able to explore this new experience safely. The evening will finish in a secluded woodland glade, where we will hold a Sharing Circle around a fire, with hot drinks and sweet treats. This pilgrimage is led by its creator Becky Burchell and was developed with support from with local ecology, dark skies and archaeology experts and members of the Chettle community. Arla's story was co-created with the land. This event was originally developed with funding from CHANGE Festival, Cranborne Chase and Chalke Valley Landscape Partnership and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING The experience of walking in the dark, with a guide, allowing us to hear the night sounds, was truly special. I felt myself slowing down, calming, connecting and feeling things more deeply. It was deeply restorative. I loved the story, and imagining us back in Celtic times. Becky was an incredible guide and storyteller. She was thoughtful, warm and inspiring. - Lucy The experience was remarkable, profound and impactful in so many ways, the ripples of the experience will resonate and return over for a long time to come - Guy Absolutely brilliant evening. A wonderful insight into an ancient way of life I never learnt about - Olivia Becky led us into an amazing time travel experience and created a space for reflection and sharing. Those are experiences that you will never forget - Ben The ritual elements of the evening and the sharing circle were particularly moving - Victoria Very unique and powerful, tapping into something the world needs right now: female unity and leadership - Helen A wonderful evening with amazing storytelling, I felt transported to another time and felt less scared of the darkness - Jeanette ABOUT BECKY BURCHELL Becky is a storyteller, curator, collaborator and convenor. She creates experiences at the intersection of the arts, environmentalism and community. She has over 20 years of experience as a visionary producer and organiser, working within festivals, charities, arts venues and communities. She has a passion for combining different art forms, ideas and people to co-create extraordinary gatherings and experiences including multi-artform festivals in national arts centres, evenings where musicians duet with wild nightingales, a visionary play set in 2050, a vibrant community wassail, environmental short films to inspire young people and regular women's circles for her local community. She launched the environmental organisation CHANGE Festival in 2019 to elevate people, ideas and narratives that celebrate bold new ways of regenerative living, where humanity and the natural world are both able to thrive. Becky lives with her family in Chettle, where she is co-creating with the land, the community and the ancestors to lay cultural foundations for the future.