Bert Cole ()

BERT Baptised in a torrent of petrol and adrenaline, Bert Cole was riding motorbikes at the age of 6, welding by the age of 9 and at his first Glastonbury by the age of 10 where a perfect storm shaped his future path. By 2000, he was master of the world’s largest tent and after 5 years touring the world he returned to the UK where he founded Arcadia with Pip Rush.ent from my iPhone ARCADIA Arcadia fuse reshaped military hardware, flaming explosions, sculpture, performance, engineering, architecture, adrenaline, immersion and bass into a primal unity. Founded in 2007 by Pip Rush and Bert Cole on a shared love of unconventional creativity and high octane dynamics, Arcadia have consistently sought to push the barriers of spectacle and sensory experience. Best known for their 41 tonne, 'fire breathing Spider’, Arcadia rework military machinery and industrial components into celebratory environments and dance arenas, following a strong transformational and conscious ethos. Using only recycled materials allows ideas and installations to be shaped by random finds and an element of synchronicity rather than building structures to a pre defined design. Arcadia was founded on three guiding principles. Transforming the form and function of military hardware and the refuse of oppressive technology into unifying spheres of positivity. Creating immersive environments that lock crowds into a non linear, egalitarian space. Forging a vivid spectrum of elements into multi sensory experiences that transcend any one focus. Since tearing out of a cowshed in Dorset with their first structure, the Afterburner, Arcadia have gone on to develop a series of mechanical landscapes and performance based shows; most notably the Spider and the Landing Show. Having blazed a molten trail at major festivals, they collaborated with New Zealander Carlos van Camp to form the Tesla inspired Lords of Lightning and built the mobile, amphibious Bug Stage which featured at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics. 2014 saw Arcadia be given a permanent area of their own at the Glastonbury Festival and the announcement of international events in Thailand and New Zealand. They were awarded ‘Best Live Production’ at the 2014 TPI Awards