Tuesday 21 August 2012

The London 2012 Festival Continues With the Best Events to Come

The London 2012 Festival has been one of the most successful elements of the London 2012 Olympic Games – and some of the most ambitious and exciting commissions are still to come. The festival has so far been enjoyed by more than 12 million people in events ranging from a bouncy-castle version of Stonehenge to the World Shakespeare Festival. The fun continues for another three and a half weeks until 9 September with events all over Britain.

Through the festival the nation has been transformed into a canvas for innovative and unique events. Those coming up over the next two weeks are among the most extraordinary. Walking sees a stretch of North Norfolk’s wild coastline transformed by sculptural installations and outdoor theatre. The stunning landscape, which many people will have already admired on screen as the setting for the final scene of Shakespeare in Love, will become the stage for an extraordinary outdoor adventure. Set over a three mile stretch of the Holkham estate in Norfolk – some sections of which are not usually open to the public – this is part walk and part theatrical experience, punctuated by gigantic architectural installations along the way.

Flags is internationally renowned German artist Hans Peter Kuhn’s new installation artwork set against the backdrop of the spectacular Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. The work stretches along the length of the bay, just beyond the stones, and features a series of randomly positioned flags along the trail and the banks of the cliff face. The flags, red on one side and yellow on the other, will rotate in the wind creating a flickering pattern against the dramatic landscape.

Mittwoch aus Licht is the world premiere performance of German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen’s monumental opera cycle Licht/Light, directed by Graham Vick and staged by Birmingham Opera Company. For the first time, all six parts of this opera will be staged, featuring two choirs, flying solo instrumentalists, live electronic and acoustic music and a string quartet streamed live from four flying helicopters. YesYesNo - Connecting Light is a new art installation along the line of Hadrian's Wall, designed by New York based digital arts collective YesYesNo. Using a series of weather balloons lit by internal LED lights, the installation will become a line of pulsating colours as 'messages' are sent along the Wall. The installation will be visible in the evening and accessible to visitors at several locations, creating a unique way to experience one of Britain’s most popular UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Africa Express is the train to take. The concept is simple: take some of the best African and Western musicians, put them in a train and send them around Britain to entertain the nation with fantastic music. The train leaves London on 2 September and travels through England, Scotland and Wales. There are scheduled concerts in Middlesbrough, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff, Bristol & London as well as pop-up performances at railway stations, schools, factories, offices, shopping centres and homes. Michael Clark – Barrowlands Project. Iconic Scottish dancer, choreographer and artist Michael Clark will take over the celebrated Glasgow Barrowlands, now a legendary rock music venue and with a history as Glasgow’s premier dance hall to create a powerful dance event with local people, who have been invited to perform alongside company dancers to create a communal dance experience.

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