An award-winning artist has been commissioned as part of Portland Museum's project exploring the history, myths and legends of Church Ope Cove.

Dan Shorten, a director, designer and audio-video specialist from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, will create an innovative piece of work to be displayed at the museum during b-side festival in September 2020.

Dan and his team of designers will produce a video animation to be projected inside the museum as well as onto Rufus Castle and the craggy cliff face below. The outside projection will be visible from the viewing point that overlooks Church Ope Cove.

Lucy Watkins, manager at Portland Museum, said: "We're all really excited about this project. It's a bit of a one-off to have such a spectacular piece of work taking up residence on the island."

Accompanied by sound, the video will bring the architecture of the buildings to life, using a projection mapping technique designed to enhance and emphasise the buildings' individual characteristics. It will also highlight the work of researchers on a range of interesting topics, including secret tunnels, Viking invasions, smuggling and landslides.

Church Ope Cove, a sheltered beach on the eastern side of Portland, was the original landing place of the first recorded Viking invasion. Tales of smuggling and pirates abound, but the location's central role in history is often forgotten.

Portland Museum recently secured a grant of £27,600 from Arts Council England to fund a project delving into the myths and legends of the cove, and will work in partnership with b-side and the local community to unveil its secrets.

B-side is a local arts organisation working with residents across the county to highlight the less commercial aspects of Dorset's coastal towns. Each other year, b-side run a nine-day festival of events on Portland, featuring installations of visual art, text and sound which are shown in unusual places around the island. This unique festival attracts thousands of visitors from across the country and beyond.

The next b-side festival will take place between September 5 and September 13, 2020. For more information visit www.b-side.org.uk and to find out more about the Church Ope Cove project, head to www.portlandmuseum.co.uk