Live at Home: Hastings Virtual Jack
When: May 2020
Where: online
Live at Home: Hastings Virtual Jack
Home Live Art were thrilled to team up with community Facebook TV channel Isolation Station Hastings and local tech company MelodyVR to bring the community online and together to celebrate the beloved Traditional Jack in the Green Festival.
Jack in the Green is an annual festival in Hastings attracting thousands of people every year. The four-day event celebrates the coming of summer and culminates in a large colourful procession of costumed characters parading to an outdoor arena on the West Hill or the town.
For Virtual Jack 2020 we co-developed and produced the following events:
Dancing at Dawn
Hastings Town centre at Dawn
Friday 1 May 2020
The traditional Dancing at Dawn event to celebrate the start of May and the Jack in the Green festivities was broadcast live online via Isolation Station and Jack in the Green Facebook channels and has had over 5000 views.
The event featured dancing, singing and drumming from homes in Hastings as well as live footage of the dawn breaking over Hastings.
View Dancing at Dawn on Isolation Station Hastings
Ceilidh for Jack
Saturday 2 May 2020
The legendary Jack in the Green annual Ceilidh with Gordon Potts calling took place on Zoom and featured over 70 participants dancing.
A further 2000 people have watched online via Isolation Station and Jack in the Green Facebook channels.
View the Saturday Ceilidh on Isolation Station Hastings
Virtual Main Procession for Jack in the Green
Virtual Jack in the Green
Sunday 3 May 2020
For the Jack in the Green online virtual procession we invited the whole town to get dressed up in green as they normally would and join us to watch footage of previous years’ processions as well as live performances from homes across Hastings including Morris dancing, drum performances, live music, the slaying of the Jack and all of the wonderful people and characters that make this event what it is.
Over 400 people dressed up and joined us on Zoom and more than 20,000 viewers have tuned in to watch the Virtual Procession via the Isolation Station and Jack in the Green Festival Facebook channels.
The event also raised over £3000 to support local NHS staff via a specially set up Just Giving page
View Hastings Virtual Jack 2020 – The Main Procession on Isolation Station Hastings
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Live at Home is a programme of online creative content produced by Home Live Art in partnership with the community Facebook TV channel Isolation Station Hastings.
