Experience Bodmin Project – Shadow Lounge The Retelling/Robert Mennear

Tender description

Dates services required: July – Dec 2026 Cornwall Council Experience Bodmin Project invited new proposals for event & experiences to take place within Bodmin and the surrounding area, that could build on their pilot events, grow exciting and ambitious performance events , to attract visitors to the area as well as appeal to local residents. This event will: - Celebrate Bodmin‘s rich heritage and history, bringing to life Cornwall’s unique culture and identity - Appeal to local residents as well as visitors - Amplify and enhance an existing event within Bodmin events calendar - Present a reliable sustainability vision, less reliant on funding - Encourage collaboration and partnership between local partners and organisations Experience Bodmin have commissioned Robert Mennear (of GRIT). to deliver Shadow Lounge The Re-telling, Shadow Lounge The Re-Telling will be delivered through a number of creative and community partnerships, each contributing specialist skills, audience reach and long-term development opportunities. The project builds on the success and strong community response of the original Shadow Lounge, which took place at St Petroc’s Church in February 2026. The project celebrates Bodmin and Cornwall’s unique culture through contemporary myth-making.Drawing inspiration from local landscapes, folklore, community voices and the character of the town itself, the three original myths create new stories rooted in place while echoing Cornwall’s long tradition of droll telling.. The combination of digital projection, handmade installation and live performance creates a richer and more layered experience. Some people will be drawn to the folklore and heritage, others to the atmosphere of St Petroc’s Church, the live shadow play, or the contemporary use of projection and animation. The core creative team is based in Cornwall, with the new collaborators for projection mapping and animation coming from the Bodmin area itself. This makes the project a true reflection of place, not only telling stories rooted in Bodmin but also championing the talent, skill and imagination that already exists within Cornwall and Bodmin town. Shadow Lounge has the potential to become an anticipated annual or bi-annual event within Bodmin’s autumn programme, returning each year with new layers of myth, storytelling and visual development. Background Experience is a Cornwall Council project that encourages a resilient year-round visitor economy. Experience delivers a year-round growth model that increases footfall by creating unique cultural and low carbon experiences. The programme brings together key stakeholders to collaborate and deliver specific aspects of each Cornish town’s ambitions. Experience promotes each destination through an integrated and targeted communication campaign showcasing the unique identity and culture of each place. With capital investment and regeneration as its main catalyst for change, it offers long-lasting tangible benefits to local communities and its residents. The programme has four strands of work: network-building and skills development, development of the visitor destination and its offer, marketing of the destination and evaluation. Experience has been awarded funding from Good Growth (Shared Prosperity Fund) for 2025-26, which is match funded by Cornwall Council’s Town Centre Revitalisation Fund in 2026-27. Overall, it will support the project’s ambition to: - Revitalise towns and support communities in achieving their local priorities - Work towards a carbon neutral Cornwall by increasing low carbon experiences - Invest in year-round regenerative tourism, embedding resilience and collaboration between the visitor economy and creative/cultural sectors.