Transit of Venus
Premiered at the Immersive Vision Theatre, Plymouth.
Holst Spaceship Earth:
An Immersive Dome Experience, 2024
In 2024, we celebrated the 150th birthday of Gustav Holst, one of Earth’s most iconic and influential composers. To mark this momentous occasion, Arts Council England, The Holst Birthplace Trust, University Of Gloucestershire, and PlayLa.bZ CIC collaborated to create an original multi-dimensional motion arts, immersive storytelling experience.
Our inspiration
Gustav Holst (1874-1934) is a famous British composer, best known for his orchestral suite ‘The Planets’ which has gone on to inspire many classical composers in modern day, including the likes of John Williams. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its supposed astrological character, intended to convey the different 'personalities' of the planets.
‘Transit of Venus’ tells the story of a young Holst, who witnessed the rare astronomical event of Venus visibly passing across the Sun twice in his early childhood.
We imagine that the buzz, the news, and the actual event of the Transit of Venus would have been an inspiring moment in his early life, sparking his interest in the cosmos and planting the seeds of inspiration that would later result in his great life achievements with The Planets suite.
Our movie is about telling this story, from the planets in space, to Holst on Earth, and through the cosmos of his mind, sparking the ideas that would later inspire many.
Our logo illustration reflects the planets of our solar system—Holst’s greatest inspiration—seen from his perspective aboard ‘Spaceship Earth.’ Through his imaginative expression in The Planets, he transforms our perception of the cosmos, inviting us to explore its mysteries through sound.
