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One of the most spectacular features of this year's Glastonbury Festival was Arcadia's Pangea - which spat balls of fire into the night sky.

It was among the new additions to Worthy Farm for 2019, alongside others including Glastonbury-on-Sea, the Block9 stage and the Wormhole bar.

But, arguably, none were quite as show-stopping as Arcadia's Pangea.

In 2019, the iconic giant fire-breathing 'spider' called Metamorphosis was replaced by a 50m crane, transported from Avonmouth Docks by Pip Rush and Bert Cole.

Beneath the crane sat a huge globe which provided a mesmerising 3D projected light show. The sound system was better than before, too - with powerful towers around the dance area.

However, what was perhaps the most noteworthy of this whole experience were the huge balls of flames which shot out into the night sky.

But, with a renewed emphasis by the festival on environmental issues, many may be wondering how this was fuelled.

(Image: Lukonic Photography)

A spokesman for Arcadia said that two fuels are used in the flame systems: one is a biodiesel created from recycled vegetable oils and the other is propane, a fossil fuel.

The team, however, are working on a new type of fuel made from vegetable oil and bioethanol to replace the propane.

This, Arcadia says, is a work in progress.

An Arcadia spokesman said: "We use two fuels in our flame systems, the first of which is biodiesel, created from recycled vegetable oils, which is becoming increasingly difficult to source due to the takeover of the industry by major petrochemical companies.

"Many have started adding 5 per cent normal fuel to the biofuel which has made it far harder for small scale operations (that also avoid palm oil) to stay in business. Sadly, our current supplier in Bristol has just had to close down – and they were one of the last committed independents.

(Image: Shotaway)

"Consequently, we are now working on a new type of fuel made from UK produced vegetable oil and bioethanol in conjunction with Bristol University’s chemistry department and hope to be testing the new fuel before next Glastonbury.

"We also use propane which, while a fossil fuel, is actually a by-product of the production of domestic natural gas. If it wasn't sold as fuel it would be burnt off at the refinery anyway.

"We have been working on the use of biomethane to replace this but as the industry is in its infancy, the logistics of transporting the quantities we require and the high pressure it’s stored at requires further development.

"However, we are hoping that beyond our own research, when more farms have a biomethane plant, this option will become more viable more often as we will be able to pipe it in directly.

(Image: Shotaway)

"It’s not all about flames, though – for example, we work closely with our partners, Snow Business, who use the world's first entirely non-toxic environmentally friendly snow fluid (also developed with Bristol University) as an alternative to materials like single-use confetti. We mostly use power-saving LED lighting fixtures rather than high wattage lights and we use biofuel generators where at all possible.

"For our mobile stage, The Bug, we're currently testing a conversion from petrol to an alternative fuel based on bioethanol.

"And, of course, all of our structures are made from re-purposed industrial and military machinery, so are large scale symbols of recycling culture in themselves."

The spokesman for Arcadia stressed that the team is always trying to find innovative ways to 'respect the environment' and be as green as possible.

They do this by using recycled machinery, among other things.

A spokesman for Arcadia said: "We strongly believe that gathering people together in celebration to share stories and explore ideas is a necessary foundation for a healthy society. It is our core function.

"Building ceremonial spaces with fire at their heart is as old as civilisation itself and something we feel is a key element of the human experience.

"We are proud to be bringing that tradition back within a modern context.

"We wholeheartedly respect the environment and consistently innovate to find new approaches to reduce our consumption without sacrificing the impact of our core function.

"As an artistic company, we feel our role is to highlight creative innovation and spark debate both through the stories we tell and the mediums through which they are told.

"For example, we developed the Metamorphosis show in conjunction with European Green capital to tell a metaphorical story of change through a stage built from re-purposed materials and featuring the world’s first biofuel pyrotechnic system.

"That show has reached nearly a million people and provoked significant debate.

(Image: Shotaway)

"All our installations are constructed from waste military and industrial hardware, retaining the embedded energy within them and showcasing the potential of recycled machinery."

The team at Arcadia has invited people to get involved with this project and are keen to hear people's ideas on the matter.

The spokesman added: "We consistently invest in and research alternative fuels both to lessen our footprint where possible and to create art from those efforts – experiences that we hope can inspire others to imagine and innovate.

"We do not claim to have answers, but are asking questions through the shows we create and the methods we use to bring them to life. It is an ongoing process and every decision is weighed carefully to find the most effective compromise.

"We encourage collaboration and invite anyone who have ideas on how we could be more effective to get in touch."

To get in touch, email pangea@arcadiaspectacular.com

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