Perth Festival: Sacrilege – Monument meets bouncy castle

With a bus loaded with 60 year three students we headed to Sacrilege, the biggest bouncy castle in the world, ancient monument meets bouncy castle.

Designed by UK prize winning artist Jeremy Deller Sacrilege is a full scale inflatable Stonehenge. Created for the 2012 London Olympic Games, Deller’s art piece now travels the world giving participants a view of a real structure built some three thousand years ago.  According to the front of house manager Matt, who briefed the students, “There are many theories as to why the original Stonehenge was built, but Deller wanted to give his Stonehenge a meaning for being and so he built one to be bounced on.”

As one walks towards Sacrilege you are struck by the size and engineering mastery needed to create the real structure that stands in Wiltshire, in the countryside of England.  Unlike visiting the real Stonehenge, where it must be viewed from outside the circle of stones, Sacrilege allows you to bounce into the middle of the giant circle and get a glimpse of the view from its centre.

A fun morning was had by all as the students threw themselves into the pools of water that had collected on the mat, played tag behind the giant plastic rocks and bounced their way around the giant structure.  For the adults who ventured onto the green bouncy mat, it was a chance to be a child again, if only for a short time.

Don’t let the fact that the giant structure is out in the sun deter you from going to enjoy Sacrilege.  The plastic material is cooled down with water and patrons are advised to wear socks to protect their feet from burning. However, It might be wise to take a towel and a spare pair of socks.

Sacrilege is well set up with adequate shade close by, first aid post and free water fountains.

After forty five minutes of bouncing the year threes, exhausted, wet and tired, made the  journey home a little more subdued than on the journey there.