KITE TALES

“For me, the joy of kiting lies in that fine sense of extension, in the fact that you have, almost literally, a hand reaching into the sky.” – Wyatt Brummit, author of Kites, 1971

The sight of multiple colourful kites can be breathtaking, and in some of our cultures they can symbolise the connection between the living and loved ones who have passed on.

During ‘KITE TALES’ Giles King and Ciaran Clarke held space and created acts of remembrance, reflection and recreation with kites. Across a series of kite-building workshops — as well as conversations centred around life and death — this project looks to the skies as we reimagine death rituals, connecting our kites with memories, the living, and the spirit world.

The project culminated in a celebratory event at Mount Pleasant Ecological Park near Porthtowan. The visual and sound event saw 100’s of kites soaring into the sky above Cornwall, creating a beautiful spectacle of people coming together in celebration of life.

Giles King – Lead Artist, kite making and workshops

Ciaran Clarke – Lead Artist, sound and workshops

Ellie Williams – Artist kite maker

Becky Cotrell-Junior  – Artist kite maker

Paul Spooner  – Artist kite maker

Claire Crofton – Sound recording, flight day event

Rosie Hadden – Death Cafe facilitator

Photos: Steve Tanner

Film Neal Megaw