During the summer of London 2012, something extraordinary happened.

Eight murmuring, glowing encampments appeared simultaneously at some of the UK’s most beautiful and remote coastal locations, from County Antrim to the tip of Cornwall, from the Isle of Lewis to the Sussex cliffs. Designed to be visited between dusk and dawn, Peace Camp was a poignant exploration of love poetry and a celebration of the extraordinary variety and beauty of our coastline.

Alongside the live installations, the project also painted an oral portrait of the nation online. The people of the UK were asked to nominate and record their favourite love poems and submit their own messages. The collection was archived with the British Library, an anthology that celebrates our languages, dialects and accents as well as our rich poetic tradition. 

Peace Camp was co-commissioned by London 2012 Festival and Derry~Londonderry City of Culture 2013.

Peace Camp
Mussenden Temple and Downhill Beach, Borough of Coleraine. Peace Camp, Deborah Warner in collaboration with Fiona Shaw, 2012. Soundscape by Mel Mercier. Sound Design by John Del' Nero. Produced by Artichoke. Photo by Chris Hill

Peace Camp Statistics

  • Audience

    12,052

  • Total number of tents

    1,989

  • Site with the fewest tents

    Mussenden Temple (1)

  • Winner

    ‘Best Event Northumberland,’ Journal Culture Awards 2012

  • Site with the most tents

    Dunstanburgh Castle (500)

  • Winner

    ‘Best Overall Event’, Journal Culture Awards 2012

Coastal Locations

Peace Camp took place at eight beautiful locations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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Peace camp at Dunstanburgh Castle, Craster, Northumberland. Behind the glowing tents at dusk is the seafront
Dunstanburgh Castle, Craster, Northumberland. Peace Camp, Deborah Warner in collaboration with Fiona Shaw, 2012. Soundscape by Mel Mercier. Sound Design by John Del' Nero. Produced by Artichoke. Photo by Matthew Andrews

InTents

Artichoke worked with over 400 children and young people, from the Isle of Skye to the tip of Cornwall, as part of the InTents education project linked to Peace Camp. Facilitated by some of the UK’s most outstanding artist-educators, groups of students at each participating school chose a love-related theme around which they wrote poems and made immersive art installations.

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InTents, schools' Peace Camp at Haverstock School, London. Artist: Lara Hailey, Poet: Laura Dockrill. Students at Acland Burghley School, London. Peace Camp is created by Deborah Warner in collaboration with Fiona Shaw. Soundscape by Mel Mercier. Sound design by John Del' Nero. Produced by Artichoke.

'A bravely romantic 2012 celebratory artwork.'

~ The Times, July 2012 ~