Inside Out Dorset

Extraordinary Events in Extraordinary Places: Inside Out Dorset Returns for 2025!

Photo credits - from left to right, top to bottom -  Martynas Pelpys, Thames festival Trust, Toc de Fusta, Jayne Jackson, Attakkalari, Radical Ritual, We Fear, Cie D'es Tro 

With event titles like River of Hope, Sonnet of Samsara, Poi, and Canopy, curiosity is guaranteed, and so it should be.

This much-loved bi-annual festival transforms Dorset into a stage for unusual and creative installations and performances across 11 days (12th–21st September). All events are free and spread across the county, helping make them as accessible as possible. 

Here are some highlights you won’t want to miss:

River of Hope

📍 Christchurch Quay, 12th–15th September

This is your chance to see over 60 inspirational flags created by young people, in response to the climate crisis.

River of Hope is a national project that gives young people the amazing opportunity to visit their local rivers and start a dialogue about their climate concerns. These visits are then used as inspiration to create stunning artworks under the guidance of professional artists. In Dorset, artist Heidi Steller and poet Matt West have worked with pupils from local schools A two year programme that started in 2023, this installation is the finale of the national project. You’ll get to see flags from Dorset and Hampshire schools displayed alongside contributions from young people in Tees Valley, Devon, Newham, Norfolk & Ethiopia. Accompanied by a soundtrack from Dorset-based rapper, producer and songwriter Isaiah Dreads.

Photo credit - Thames Valley Trust

Canopy – 24 Ideas About Trees

📍 Moors Valley, 13th–21st September

Experience this fascinating sound installation as you walk through the forest.

Immersed in a world of trees, you are invited to discover a trail of suspended seed pods, to pause and to listen.

Artist Lorna Rees has collaborated with nearly 500 people to make CANOPY. Ecologists, artists, folk musicians, writers, and children have explored their connection to trees and what a forest is for. Hear stories of urban trees, dreams of future forests and exploits of woodland protectors. And remember – trees are people too.

Each sonic seed pod houses a unique sound world. Canopy invites the audience, to experience joyful, hopeful and thought-provoking sound art in a unique way. You may even come across performers while exploring the trail.

Photo credit - Jayne Jackson 

Sonnet of Samsara

📍 Weymouth, 19th & 20th September

Sponsored by We Are Weymouth - See Weymouth’s streets come alive with hundreds of silk pennants, local dance groups and international dance artists. You’ll witness an amazing fusion of contemporary dance, martial arts and live soundscapes coming from boom bikes.

The performance starts at Weymouth Town Bridge and weaves through the streets to the beach. Along the way there’ll be short pauses for captivating dance moments, with a vibrant Carnival Queen leading the procession and mobile boat structures adding to the spectacle. The performance will culminate in a finale on the beautiful sands of Weymouth Beach, framed by the installation of hundreds of naturally-dyed silk pennants each representing a personal story that reflects our relationship to the coast.

Photo credit - Attakkalia

Poi – The Spinning Top

📍 Corfe Castle, 20th & 21st September

Prepare to be mesmerised by the story of a man trapped by the gyroscopic effect of his spinning top.

Magical and historical, merging circus arts with the roots of Mediterranean culture, this show will amaze young and old alike.

Spinning top world champion and performer Guillem Vizcaíno creates the different spinning tops you will see – large and small, narrow and wide. His exploration of different types of wood, shapes and support points have led him to create one that weighs 45kg which he throws with a rope more than 15 metres long!

With a history of more than six thousand years, this show brings the ancient toy into the twenty first century, for everyone to enjoy!

Photo credit - Cie D'es Tro 

And that’s just the beginning! Inside Out Dorset 2025 promises an extraordinary programme of art, performance, and spectacle.

For the full timetable, venues, and event details, visit: activateperformingarts.org.uk/whats-on

One thing is certain, you’ll leave inspired by the incredible artists and installations that transform Dorset this September.

Consequences - Photo credit - Radical Ritual