Michael Cox reports on this year’s Enchanted Forest production of Symphony of Nature.
‘It’s my job to make this event immersive and imaginative and to bring a bit of enchantment to people’s lives.’ So says Karen Falconer, the individual responsible for ‘dreaming up’ the journey people will take in their adventure through the Enchanted Forest.
There’s no denying Karen’s enthusiasm for the Enchanted Forest. Speaking with her on a Zoom interview from Faskally Wood (near Pitlochry) a few days before the event’s opening, Karen is filled with praise and enthusiasm for the upcoming event and everything it embraces: the beauty of the forest—particularly on a crisp autumn’s evening—the brilliant creative team she has the pleasure of working with and how the wonderful world of Pitlochry feels like a family.
Karen, and the firm she’s creative director of—Wavemakers Live—has been tasked with designing bespoke experiences by the Enchanted Forest Community Trust for the last few years. She feels blessed with being trusted with the task of creating ‘artistic installations’ of light and sound—an experience that has shaped into one of Scotland’s most notable cultural experiences.
Beginning in 2002, the event has gone from strength to strength. It is reported that the event has delivered £73 million to the Perthshire economy since its inception and now makes an ‘impressive impact of £10.38 million to Highland Perthshire’ while playing host to ‘up to 83,000 visitors from all over the UK and beyond.’
Creating an experience that pleases everyone—locals relying on economic nourishment but also audiences seeking escape—is something Karen doesn’t take lightly. ‘It’s a huge responsibility,’ she says, ‘to create something that people are going away with a smile on their face with that little buzz about them, with that wonderous “wow!” factor.’
And it is this ‘wow’ factor that makes people come back annually. As event producer Monique McArdle recently stated, ‘Customer satisfaction continues to be high, and with over half of our visitors having been before, we know it’s now a mainstay of the tourism calendar in Highland Perthshire and a must-see annually for thousands of people from all over the world.’
With the knowledge that many of the visitors will indeed be returning, Karen is always challenging herself—and her team—to create a better show each time. ‘I come up with the harebrained ideas, and then we write a story around it.’
Karen’s ‘harebrained ideas’ have given her a rather ambitious idea for this year’s event. Called Symphony of Nature, this production fully embraces the idea of using a soundscape alongside the light installations.
‘I wanted to find something—that sort of common ground—that connects us all,’ she says. ‘And no matter what demographic you are--age, background, race, religion, no matter what it is--there’s something that connects us all: music.’
On top of the ambition of leaning into a musical soundscape, Karen wanted to continue using a story-based lynchpin. Last year’s event used the rather adorable bioluminescent fish Solis, who’s adventure ended in a crescendo of light and sound by encountering the Scottish Goddess of Winter: Biera.
‘Biera is back to be our conductor of our “Symphony of Nature,”’ she confirms. ‘So, the start of our show, you’re going to see Biera make a magical wish on a dandelion, and you’re going to follow this dandelion seed around the forest on various sort of different nods.’
Karen doesn’t want to reveal too many spoilers, but her enthusiasm for what the entire creative team have dreamed up fills her with obvious glee. Such moments as ‘String Section’, ‘Serenity Dew’ and ‘Kaleidoscope’ embrace everything that the Enchanted Forest does best: use the wonders of music and sound within the beautiful forest setting.
One section in particular Karen and the entire Enchanted Forest team are extremely enthusiastic about is called ‘In Bloom’. Created by Kumquat Lab, the installation contains 10 spheres around a structure that emulates a flower. ‘And if you hover your hand over the edge of a sphere, it creates a chord. So, the idea is that you’re creating harmony together in the forest,’ says Karen. ‘So, whether you’re there with people you know or people you don’t, the whole narrative is that you can create harmony together, no matter who you are. It’s beautiful.’
Symphony of Nature’s ambitions are found throughout the entire experience, from the show’s ‘prelude’ involving LED-lit swings people can sit on through to its rousing and boundary-pushing finale, which incorporates nature’s biggest conductor of sound: water.
The Enchanted Forest is an experience that has something for everyone—for those who visit Faskally Wood, and for those who live and work in the community of Pitlochry. As Emma Davies, the Head of Communications, says, ‘As a not-for-profit event, anything that is earned goes directly back into creating next year’s event, or back into the local community through charitable donations.’
The Enchanted Forest Community Trust are indeed very clear that the event isn’t profit-driven but does in fact ‘give back’ to the Highland Perthshire community. Not only does the event benefit the local economy—with restaurants, shops and hotels seeing economic growth during its run—the Trust itself has taken a commendable stance to award grants to registered charities, so far allowing twenty-six organisations to be awarded much-needed financial help.
With everything happening in the world, and with the cultural sector within Scotland facing such financial hardships, how refreshing—how enchanting—it is to have a successful and positive story like the Enchanted Forest.
Yet it’s Karen Falconer who comes back to the crux of why audiences continue to attend such events. ‘Kids love the whole vibe of the Enchanted Forest,’ she proudly says. ‘And there’s something for everyone.’
As Karen correctly says, in the end it’s all about creating a unique experience that people will remember. ‘I want people to forget about their normal and just be immersed in enchantment.’
The Enchanted Forest: Symphony of Nature is running until November 3, 2024, in Pitlochry. Check the event’s website for details and updates on weather.
Photos by Infinite Blue Designs.
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