Simex strikes Butser!

Last week something very different happened on the farm....!We played host to a small part of Simex 2018; the worlds largest simulated disaster relief exercise. This huge event, featuring a total of over 3000 people, took place all across Hampshire over three days. The exercise is an annual event, running since 2012, however this year was the first time the exercise has ever come to Butser. Two simultaneous disaster scenarios were played out to test and train emergency responses; one international disaster - a tidal surge in a fictional African country - and one national disaster - a hurricane!The organising team wanted to use the Iron Age enclosure at Butser to represent an African village as part of the international disaster scenario, and we were very happy to support such an important and worthwhile project.On Wednesday afternoon a group of excited local school children, complete with fake wounds and bandages(!) arrived on site, shepherded by several organisers in high vis and shortly followed by a procession of emergency aid workers from charities such as Save the Children who had navigated their way to the farm. We even saw several search and rescue helicopters flying low overhead as part of the exercise!It was very interesting for the team to see such an unusual activity on site and get an insight into the world of disaster relief! There's never a dull day at Butser...!

Channelling the Inner Neolithic

A guest post by DD Storyteller

We have commisioned DD Storyteller to create a series of interactive stories to bring the farm to life for our younger visitors. DD will be training up our volunteers to deliver the stories and will be giving preview performances in May/June, more information...

---

As a Consultant Storyteller, creating interactive performance stories for children, I not only write the stories but I also create the props that bring them to life.

I love every aspect of the creative process so when I needed to create a Neolithic cave painting in the form of a map, for a specially commissioned story I have written for Butser Ancient Farm, I couldn't wait to channel my inner Neolithic.

First stop was the Llandygai House at Butser Ancient Farm at the heart of their Stone Age area. On the wall of the house is a replica of a hunting scene from Turkey, similar to that found at Chatalhuyuk. This painting is also the inspiration for my story and map. The scene shows the hunting of an Aurochs and has a multitude of warriors and hunters surrounding this huge Neolithic beast. Bows drawn, spears raised, and adorned with hunting apparel, these brave tribes people had a mighty task ahead of them.

I wanted to keep my painting as authentic as possible despite being drawn by a twenty-first century homo sapien and so I created images reminiscent of those found in the painting in the Llandygai house. I researched cave paintings and created silhouette images of the animals in the story: Lynx, Stag Beetle, Wolf, Elk, Bear, Boar and Beaver. These were all animals that were found in the Neolithic although now some are endangered or even extinct in Britain.

I then outlined the animal silhouettes on a large canvas, drawing their habitats around them, again in the Neolithic style.

After a light grey wash of paint to give the appearance of a stone wall I started to fill in the detail. I did this using similar colours to those used in the Neolithic period. During this period they may have used iron oxide to get the red colour, iron to get yellow and manganese for black. I used the modern convenience of paint blocks, specifically Derwent Inktense Ink blocks as they gave me exactly the effect I needed. You can draw with them like pastels and then use water to create an intense paint colour on the canvas.

Here's the finished map:

For the performance, clues will be attached to the map to tell the story as the audience takes a journey back in time to discover what the Aurochs is and where it lives.

You can join us in 'The Hunt For The Aurochs', at Butser this May/June, designed for 7-12 year olds. For more information on these brand new, original, interactive mini mystery stories, you can visit my events page here. I look forward to seeing you there for a neolithic adventure!