About Project Orpheus
The time has come:
Orpheus awakens
Where a symphony of authentic voices fills the air, bursts of colour awaken the senses and the buzz of creativity is felt in every moment.
It’s been 200 years since the breathtakingly beautiful Orpheus Mosaic was unearthed from our very own Barton Farm here in Cirencester.
Embracing the Orpheus Philosophy
Nature
History
Community
Music
Art
Every facet of Project Orpheus is underpinned by community, cultural exploration and creative expression. We want you to understand what drives us and how we’ve come to this spectacular place, together. Below, you’ll unearth the main pillars that are steering this project. With every curious mind considered, Project Orpheus speaks to an entire nation.
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The Orpheus Mosaic has gifted us a philosophy that we aim to live by each and every day.
It’s the feeling in your chest hearing thousands of voices sing in unison. It’s connecting with history in a moment of awe that stops you in your tracks. It’s the buzz you feel in your mind and body when you unearth the inner knowing that you have limitless creative potential.
With a focus on a more creative world, an interconnected community and legacy that continues long after 2025 ends, Project Orpheus aims to encourage you and your people to see the power in a lifetime of creative expression and an abundance of appreciation for our shared heritage.
Creativity is the life force of our nation and our colourful past has brought us to where we are today.
Project Orpheus is here to remind you of that.
Nature
Inspired by the land, our biology and the earth that we come from.
Orpheus teaches us not to control and conquer our natural world but instead honour, respect and treasure it in all its glory. We’re proud to celebrate the land that protected the Orpheus story for thousands of years and celebrate the future of our world and the beauty it brings us.
Project Orpheus encourages each of us to pause, reflect and cherish the sweetness of nature.
History
Honouring the past so we can shape a bright future.
The Orpheus Mosaic was unearthed 200 years ago, bringing new life to Cirencester and reminding us of our national, culturally rich Roman history.
It brings to light our connection to a fascinating civilisation that walked the earth before us and how they’ve shaped our lives today.
However, the Orpheus Mosaic takes us even deeper into our world history, celebrating the Greek myth and highlighting storytelling that dates back several centuries before the Romans even existed.
Project Orpheus celebrates the immensity of this history and how it impacts our cultural and historical landscape.
This is so much bigger.
Community
From the littlest hearts to the wisest souls, Project Orpheus values every person.
Each of us hold the power and magic of Orpheus and we cannot wait to unearth it alongside you.
Orpheus moved mountains and found ways to connect and find connections between worlds. We are inspired by this concept of radical collaboration and that’s why community is at the core of Project Orpheus.
From the youngest members of our society to those with years of wisdom and experience, the community voice is at the centre of this project and we welcome it with open arms.
Music
Shared voices, harmonious melodies and the felt-experience of sound and melody as it pulses throughout our bodies and hearts.
Orpheus charmed men, beasts and the natural world with music. We are determined to not only celebrate the transformative power and beauty of the individual experience of listening and creating, but also wish to highlight the magic in shared musical experiences.
Project Orpheus will work to bring community voices to the fore as we sing together and unite the nation with one shared voice. We are firm believers that creativity and expression should not be reserved for the few and instead should be encouraged and cultivated within every facet of our community.
Art
We must keep making, creating and sharing our light.
Project Orpheus champions creativity as the heart of our world.
Artists the world over have been depicting the Orpheus story and immortalising it for us to enjoy and be inspired by.
Through explosions of colour, moving storytelling and unforgettable experiences that awaken the senses.
We see the persisting magic that happens when communities use their creative minds, skillful hands and precious time to craft, make and create and that’s exactly what we’ll be celebrating with Project Orpheus.