Charge of the Light Brigade to dazzle at Edinburgh's International Festival ARTHUR'S Seat is the stage for an ambitious, illuminated walking and running spectacle as part of the Edinburgh Festival - and anyone can play a part, finds Gabe Stewart IT IS a crisp, clear spring night in Edinburgh. I am lying on my back on a velvety patch of moss, partly to avoid the worst of the chill wind whipping up over Salisbury Crags, and partially to gain the best view of the star-studded ceiling above me without getting a stiff neck. We have been waiting for 15 minutes for another jog leader to find us in the dark. Half a dozen of our group run around to keep warm. One less energetic participant turns to me and says: "You can't take out a staple in the office for fear of Health and Safety, and here we are running around in the pitch black a couple of yards from Lovers" Leap." I am at the first runners" rehearsal and orientation training session for NVA's Speed of Light, a mass-choreographed act of walking and endurance running, taking place on Arthur's Seat as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. A rumour of a twisted ankle that night proves false, but I leave the practice later thinking to myself: if no one breaks a leg here during August, it'll be a miracle. It was an understandable point of view then, although I've revised it since hearing about all the work NVA has put in for two years to make this the safest environment it can be. Imagine the challenge though: 4,500 runners over 19 nights, two groups of 120 illuminated runners scampering over the inky blackness and treacherous steep-sided interior of Arthur's Seat and an audience of 800 climbing to the summit aided only by a light stick. At first glance it's easy to imagine Health and Safety officers foaming with apoplexy at the mere thought of it. And as for the "ever-had-an-accident-that-wasn't your-fault?" law firms? Well, ker-ching. However, Angus Farquhar, creative director of Glasgow-based arts group NVA, is not alarmed. We've worked in far more extreme environments such as the Old Man of Storr on Skye. Ah yes, 2005, the Storr: Unfolding Landscapes, where 6,500 people trekked an illuminated, strenuous route up the 1400ft-high pinnacle of the Old Man of Storr over the course of 42 nights. And there was only one sprained ankle between them. Farquhar says that because Speed of Light is operating within a city infrastructure it will be easier to manage than either the Storr or the Path, NVA's installation which, 12 years ago, transformed Glen Lyon into an audio and light sculpture. Plus Speed of Light runners have had a six-month training programme to follow, and are teamed up with group leaders of ultra-marathon calibre. We are creating the safest possible environment, but it's not going to be a walk in the park. We live in a completely risk-averse society and here is an opportunity to experience a unique sense of freedom in a world in which people often feel very constrained. Talking of constraints, surely restricting the general public's right to roam freely on Arthur's Seat during performances could lead to disgruntlement, if not legal action. Double ker-ching. But Farquhar's own experience says otherwise. People really are not that aggressive. We are perfectly aware they have a right to roam. We explain that we are creating a managed experience and we simply appeal to people's better nature. We manage it positively. If people want to catch a flavour of it, they can stand and watch from one of the safe designated areas. But you won't experience the work in the same way as if you are fully a part of it, which is what makes it such a special experience. Special? Undoubtedly it will be. But a cosy night at the theatre it's not. Especially if Edinburgh in August plays its usual climate joker and supplies a traditional festival downpour. NVA has just invited its running "performers" to attend a dress rehearsal as "audience" members. Even though these runners are clearly fit enough to walk the audience path, NVA still warns them that "it is a strenuous route on rough terrain. You'll need to wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for wet/cold weather. As if on cue, NVA's second night-time practice, at the end of April, started off magnificently with the setting sun's gold arc light bathing the ancient rock of Arthur's Seat in a suitably dramatic glow. Then the heavens opened and chucked it down for three hours. It was a timely opportunity for participants to recall the old Norwegian adage: There's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. So think hard before you buy your audience ticket (£24, £18 concessions) and don't underestimate the stamina and endurance that will be required. Of course, for some, the challenge is all part of the appeal and the sense of real-life drama. "The audience are very much part of the artwork," says NVA's associate director Jane Connarty. This is no static, sit-down audience. They will be carrying light as well and will contribute to the overall animation and choreography of the work. Taking part in Speed of Light is taking part in the environment. You will see a different perspective. Artistically, the concept overflows with imagery and ideas. It is also, literally, a work in progress, and will continue to be until its last performance on 1 September. Simple and complex, it's almost unbelievable nobody thought of it before. Although thinking about it and then taking the idea to fruition are two completely different things. This may partly explain why Speed of Light has had an unusually long gestation period. "I've been thinking about this project for over 20 years," says Farquhar. And its time has finally come. Under the enlightened tutelage of [Edinburgh International Festival director] Jonathan Mills, the Festival is opening up and seeing the value of public art looking beyond opera, mainstream music and theatre; looking beyond its history of mostly venue-based work. So was it a hard sell? It's a really good idea," says Farquhar. I don't mean that arrogantly, but people bought into it really quickly. To make art this way, a piece of public art this simple and effective, well, it's the Holy Grail really. People "get it" but it doesn't cheapen the overall effect. It's easily been the most positive response I've ever received in my life. And it's come to fruition in Olympic year. "Speed of Light is a celebration of movement as a co-operative rather than competitive act," says Farquhar. Formerly, the Olympiad featured poetry alongside sports. The Olympic spirit is often talked about but rarely seen. Speed of Light reconnects more with Olympic idealism, and uses movement as a celebration of humanity and what it is to be alive. Speed of Light runs from 9 August until 1 September (not Mon and Tues, except Monday 27 August). Groups set off every 15 minutes from 9.15pm until 11pm. For further details, visit www.speedoflight2012.org.uk