Dose of Summer. Part of Light Night, Leeds City Centre, 10th October 2008

Where did our beautiful British Summer go? Did we blink and miss the hose-pipe bans, melted 99s, and embarrassing t-shirt tans of 2008? The lack of an entire season has left us pasty and depressed, unable to work and confused about what day it is. Fear not; Leeds-bred artist collective Black Dogs are here to provide you with a short sharp Summery shock in their Lost Summer Marquee on Briggate.

Between 6pm and 11pm you are very warmly invited to reclaim 5 minutes of Summery goodness in a specially controlled environment featuring all manner of imitation holiday time treats. Revolving around the opportunity to partake in a deck-chair, blue-sky and trashy novel ‘five minute haven’, the Black Dogs Lost Summer Marquee will restage a jumble of sweaty activities and ambiences to help you leave with some memory, no matter how skewed, of a Summer of 2008.

Expect cold refreshments, Summery tunes, performances from Morris Men and Royal Scottish Country Dancers, demonstrations of kids keeping themselves entertained with sticks from Denmasons, Leeds Crusaders mods with scooters, artist-led games, Sir Cliff Richard and most importantly warmth, light and no sodding rain. Bear in mind though that there is only a small amount of Summer to go around, and many people in need of their Summer dose, so get into the holiday spirit and share with sunny abandon.

Black Dogs for this project was:
Andy Abbott, Michael Burkitt, Yvonne Carmichael, Luke Drozd, James Hill, No Fixed Abode, Jen Ohlson, Bryony Pritchard, Eva Rowson, Tom Railton, Lawrence Molloy, and the Werewolves of London.