East Yorkshire’s incredible coastline to tell adventure tale
PROJECT IS A MODERN RETELLING OF CLASSIC WORK THE ODYSSEY
HUNDREDS of people who live and work along the Yorkshire coast, from Spurn Point to Whitby, have been cast in a retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey.
The epic tale, with scenes shot on land and at sea around Withernsea, Hornsea, Skipsea and Bridlington, along with the cliff tops at Flamborough, is making stars of more than 400 people from local communities, businesses and the media.
Organisations including the RLNI, RSPB and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, as well as hundreds of local residents, have been taking part in audio and video recording sessions retelling Homer’s classic tale for the project by theatre company Animated Object, in association with Yorkshire Coast BID.
Some of the region’s radio presenters have been involved as narrators and performers on-screen and will continue to be part of The Odyssey as it evolves.
The first episode of the story is due to be released in November, across Animated Object’s website and on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube.
It aims to set the scene of the story and introduce the Olympian Gods in their modern form, with narrators switching between the real world and the fictional world of The Odyssey.
With more episodes set to be released in December, then in the new year, the entire story will be told with the backdrop of the Yorkshire coast, showing stunning sunrises, beautiful beaches and spectacular scenery.
A series of large-scale sand art projects, filmed by drone, will feature in the opening credits.
Hornsea resident Alex Cottrell said: “Working on the Odyssey project was amazing. Not only was the concept awesome but I was honoured to be a part of something that brought stories of the past to a modern audience.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun as I have fighting with lightsabers on the beach - what an experience.”
Dawn Dyson-threadgold, of Animated Objects, said: “We’ve had a really positive response from locals and businesses up and down the coast.
“We’ve met people with different levels of experience, many of whom have never performed before, but have been keen to get involved in this epic adventure on screen. We have such an incredible coastline and countryside and that’s why we’ve chosen to set such an epic tale in this unique and dramatic landscape.”
Kerry Carruthers, chief executive of Yorkshire Coast BID, said: “This will be the biggest event series, one of the most ambitious community film projects, told in the UK using the Yorkshire coast as its natural backdrop and the team are only at the beginning of telling this epic tale, that has seen more than 100 businesses alone get involved.”
At the heart of the project is accessibility, with groups involved from different areas, backgrounds and concerns, and this will continue to be central to the initiative as live events unfold next year.
As the exciting and ambitious project unfolds, an enchanting lantern trail in Robin Hood’s Bay, over the weekend of December 4 and 5, and special largescale screenings of The Trojan Wars, an interactive event touring to six towns along the coast in February 2022, will take place, along with live music and giant puppet visit in April and May of next year.
The activity follows on from a geolocation trail scheme, a free roaming story to be enjoyed at a relaxed pace, and with a number of “discovery trails” in larger towns where chapters lead visitors from one location to another to introduce them to areas they may not have explored before.
The geo-location trails were released on the Echoes App by Animated Objects earlier in 2021 and are available to download and listen to in 28 different locations along the coast. ■■For more information, visit
Animated Objects or follow them on social media @animatedobjects