Next Stop 2012

EEA will be working with The Gateway Boroughs, Thames Gateway London Partnership, LDA, Arts Council England, The Sports Council and CLG to deliver Next Stop 2012, a participatory arts programme to mark the commencement of the British leg of The Olympic Games.

The programme will embody the spirit of ‘The Games’ and performances will be showcased at cultural events in each of the 5 boroughs.

The project will culminate in a large-scale grand finale for the entire Gateway, and create a legacy that will inform the Cultural Olympiad to 2012 and beyond.

Performances:

5th & 6th July Danson Festival, Bexley

12th July Lewisham’s People’s Day

24 August Redbridge Festival or Park Opening

28th September Havering’s Launch of Cultural Olympiad, Romford Town Centre

2 November Barking and Dagenham’s Molten Festival

Performances will include:

• The arrival of a giant mechanical bird symbolising the past and the future.

• A giant egg that will hatch a new ‘mascot’ for each borough inspired by an aspect of each borough’s coat of arms and designs from participants that reflect their imaginations and aspirations

• A parade of costumed characters, carnival dancers and puppets depicting locally distinctive images and characters

• The creation of printed flags carried and animated by local sports groups

• Drumming groups or brass bands and processional choirs

• For night time – a mobile video screen that can move through streets and public spaces showing film or digital animation created by local participants in each borough

• Mobile sound systems with specially composed music using sampled sounds

• Performers with hand held pyrotechnics.