Rothesay, Isle of Bute , 25-28 September 2009

AFTER WEEKS of teasing in the local press and radio, as well as much hype in the national media and numerous posters and booklets circulating in the Bute communities and beyond, the September weekend saw the arrival of The Big Man on the Isle of Bute.

Big Man at the Ferry (© The Puppet Lab)

Big Man Walking is a project created by The Puppet Lab and Puppet Animation Scotland (PAS). With funding from the Scottish Arts Council’s Inspire fund, the group have created an amazing 25-foot-high, giant Big Man who, over an 8-week period during September and October, will visit six Scottish communities. Each will welcome him with a unique celebration, presenting a series of arts festivals across the country in his name.

The celebrations for the Big Man’s visit to Bute were supported by Homecoming funds from Argyll and Bute Council and were organised in a partnership between the Discover Bute Landscape Heritage Project and the Step Up project.

So, what were we doing on Bute to greet the Big Man? The festival got underway on Friday evening when a mystical-looking procession of over 300 people, half of them children, each carrying a lantern, wound its way through the trees of the Skeoch woods to arrive at the Bute Sailing club, where another 400 or so spectators were waiting.

Given the large numbers in the procession and the fact that the lantern bearers had to cross a busy thoroughfare, it took some time to arrive at the Sailing Club. It was disappointing, therefore, that many of those who had waited to greet the procession felt excluded from the messages recited by the Watchers and from the launching of the giant lantern, having little idea what was going on amidst the throng of lantern holders and other participants. For such large numbers, there are times when a PA system can create a more inclusive event.

That aside, it had been an enjoyable evening with a good mix of local families and holiday makers simply enjoying coming together as a community. And there was excitement in the air as we left, anticipating the arrival of the Big Man in the morning.

On Saturday morning, I headed for Guildford Square where the Big Man was to finally appear. When I got there, at least an hour before his scheduled arrival (though due to a number of changes to times over the weekend, there was an air of uncertainty around this), the Square was already packed with around 1,000 excited spectators, puppeteers, organisers and participants.

Centre stage was a giant blow-up peapod surrounded by numerous wagons bearing clock faces. During a lengthy wait in the Square, I felt once again that more could have been done to engage the audience, but, finally, in the last twenty minutes or so before the drapes of the peapod were dragged from the giant, the anticipation was cranked up with atmospheric music, wheeling around and ticking of clocks, ringing of bells, and smoke billowing from within the pod, creating a real air of excitement and expectancy.

When he finally appeared from his pod, the crowd burst into spontaneous laughter and applause at the sight of this big, smiling blue giant with his glittering, purple hair flowing in the breeze and his leather skirts with striped boxer shorts beneath. After a lengthy process of dressing the giant with boots and shoulder decorations, many spectators had moved on before the welcoming performances by twelve of the island’s young pipers and fifty young dancers and the greetings by each of the five Watchers.

The Big Man really came into his own as he left the Square and took to the street. Surrounded by hundreds of spectators and supporters and accompanied by the beating of drums and atmospheric music, he made an impressive figure as he strode along, creating a startling spectacle that will live long in the minds of those who saw it.

The Big Man Walked to the Sailing Club, stopping off at the Pavilion to receive the gift of a song from the island, performed by the children of St Andrew’s Primary School. Again at the Pavilion, he was greeted by crowds of happy, excited people.

After the excitement of the day, everyone needed a rest before Big Blue made his evening appearance, then it was back to Guildford Square for the Big Man’s Giant Nite Out. Approximately 1,200 people enjoyed a wonderful family ceilidh with the Bute Ceilidh Band. Also featured were performances from a fledgling, local ukulele band and a band of young drummers, put together especially for the weekend with a kit made up entirely from items bought in the local hardware shop!

On Sunday morning, an organised walk from Port Bannatyne to the Greenwood Crossing had been advertised. There, the Big Man was to officially open the Tramway Path to Ettrick Bay. The Big Man was due to put in an appearance at the Greenwood Crossing at 11am. Being short of time, this reviewer drove to Greenwood Crossing, arriving at 11am, to stand about in a grey, drizzly morning with another thirty or forty people for three quarters of an hour with little going on, apart from Big Man lifting and dropping a hand from time to time.

Once again, I felt like an observer to an event, rather than a participant. Eventually, I took a drive down to Ettrick Bay to see what was happening there. A few people were about, but the bulk of the 700 or so people who arrived later for an afternoon of traditional seaside entertainment were yet to arrive. On my return to the Greenwood Crossing, the opening ceremony had begun and, as the Big Man was now Walking, I was held back along with other vehicles, by a friendly policeman, so missed the opening after all. I then had to leave the island for another appointment and missed out on the rest of the weekend’s entertainment.

On the whole, I thought this was a brilliant event but there were times when I felt a little more engagement between the organisers and the spectators who had had no involvement in the preparations would have been helpful in drawing the spectators in.

The miserable weather on Monday morning did not deter a huge crowd of schoolchildren who gathered on the seafront at Craigmore to wave farewell to their visitor. Even CalMac got into the mood, slowing the ferry and turning her slightly so that the islanders could have a better view of the departing giant as he waved his big blue hand in farewell to his Bute hosts.

Links

• Big Man Walking