The Big Chill (music Festival)

The Big Chill was an annual festival of alternative, dance and chill-out music and comedy, held in the grounds of Eastnor Castle during early August. The 2011 line-up included The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Jessie J, Robert Plant, Calvin Harris, Neneh Cherry, Aloe Blacc, Chipmunk, Katy B & Example. The festival has not been staged since 2011.

History

Founded in 1994 by Pete Lawrence and Katrina Larkin, The Big Chill began as a series of ambient parties at the Union Chapel in Islington, but developed into an outdoor festival in 1995, with an unlicensed event in the Black Mountains of Wales. In the early days the most prominent DJs were Matt Black of Coldcut, Tom Middleton of Global Communication and Mixmaster Morris, also known as the Irresistible Force.

In 1996 the event took place in Norfolk and in 1998 a new home for the event (now known as "The Enchanted Garden") was found at Larmer Tree Gardens in England where it was held for five years. During this time the festival slowly developed its hallmarks, such as high quality visuals, an excellent range of food stalls, highly unusual line-ups and a Body & Soul field with many healers, masseurs and alternative therapists. In 2001 a second summer festival was also held at Lulworth Castle in Dorset. In 2002 the festival moved to Eastnor Castle where it remained until 2011. In 2002 PK Events Limited was liquidated and 50% shares were sold to the Cantaloupe Group, a company that managed a bar chain. A new company, Chillfest Limited, was created, with Katrina Larkin and Pete Lawrence each owning 25% and retaining a controlling management role in the company. The Big Chill staged many events around the world, in locations such as Naxos (Greek islands), Austalasia, Japan, Goa (India) and all over Europe. In 2007, the Cantaloupe Group bought out Pete Lawrence, who left the company, and some of Katrina Larkin's shares, to become the majority shareholder. In 2009, the festival went into liquidation and the brand was bought by Festival Republic. Katrina Larkin moved on to work with Festival Republic as creative director. She handed over creative direction to Festival Republic in 2010.

Throughout its history, The Big Chill showcased a variety of different music, uptempo as well as ambient. Live acts and DJs like Norman Jay, Mr Scruff, Hexstatic, Mixmaster Morris, alucidnation, Laura B, DJ Derek, Leggo Beast and Gilles Peterson were regular performers, but the festival also provided a diverse range of music from folk and jazz to African and dub.

In addition to a widely varied musical line-up, a focus on art, films, poetry, circus, cabaret, comedy and gourmet food all played a key part in setting The Big Chill apart from the competition. The Big Chill saw contributions from and collaborations with many artists and arts bodies, including Johnny Easterby, I Am The Mighty Jungulator Spencer Tunick, Pete Fowler, Gavin Turk, Cedric Christie, Peter Blake, Rankin, Bob & Roberta Smith, Vivienne Westwood, Tate Britain, the British Film Institute, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Bompas & Parr, the Roundhouse, Apples & Snakes, Penguin Books