Greenwich and Docklands International Festival Announces Full 2017 Program

Artistic Director Bradley Hemmings today announces the full programme for this summer's Greenwich + Docklands International Festival (GDIF), London's leading festival of outdoor theatre and performing arts, which takes place from 23 June to 8 July in locations across RoyAl Greenwich, Docklands and Tower Hamlets. It follows the previous announcement in March of eight newly commissioned productions.

This year's opening night production on Friday 23 June will be FierS à Cheval from French street theatre ensemble Compagnie des Quidams. Under the gaze of the Cutty Sark's famous figurehead, with outstretched hand clasping a horse's tail, an equine spectacular will unfold, featuring nine, luminous, 3.5m high inflatable horses.

Marking 160 years since it was banned for its uproarious disruption of Victorian Greenwich, GDIF's annual reinvention of the historic Greenwich Fair returns from Friday 23 June - Sunday 25 June with more than 30 productions taking over the outdoor spaces of Maritime Greenwich. This year, the Fair also celebrates the 20th anniversary of the inscription of Maritime Greenwich on the UNESCO World Heritage List: performances and installations will be located for the first time at the top of Greenwich Park Hill with its panoramic views of the capital. The programme features exciting new outdoor productions from South Korea including a hypnotic performance in a column of water from Creative Group SUM BI, as well as Skagt (The Shaft), a new immersive theatre experience from Antwerp based arts group Captain Boomer, who return to the festival following their installation of an extraordinary life-sized, hyper-real sperm whale, which beached in Greenwich in 2013, and Out In The Streets, a series of events marking the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.

On 1 July, the outdoor spaces of Canary Wharf will be taken over by Dancing City, a day of international dance performances including artists from South Korea, the Netherlands, Spain and France. On the same evening, a new street arts spectacular entitled Sense of Unity will see illuminated drummers and giant puppets processing along Roman Road, whilst from 6 -8 July All Roads Lead to Woolwich will feature theatre, dance and music from groups such as Avant Garde Dance Company, Rosie Kay Dance Company and Arensky Chamber Orchestra in unusual locations across Woolwich. In its commitment to reaching new audiences and locations, the Festival will also present promenade performances of BELONGING(s) by Tilted Productions in Thamesmead, from 6 - 8 July, a site-responsive performance exploring memory and place which will take place against the background of a community undergoing rapid regeneration and transformation.

Today's confirmed programme joins the previously announced eight specially commissioned productions including a new outdoor version of Arthur Miller's tragic masterpiece, A View from The Bridge from the Flanders based theatre collective De Roovers, presented in a dramatic Thameside location; Museum of the Moon, acclaimed artist Luke Jerram's seven metre diameter illuminated moon sculpture, located at the Old Royal Observatory Garden in Greenwich Park; Rear View, a journey with performance poetry presented on a specially adapted double-decker bus; and The Colour of Light, this year's festival finale from legendary French street theatre group Compagnie Off and leading UK South Asian composer Shri Sriram taking place in Woolwich.

GDIF's Artistic Director Bradley Hemmings said "Even for a Festival that has always prided itself on breaking new ground, this year's programme offers something different; whether being transported to a cinematic waterfront world of dockworkers and dreams of a promised land; plunging into the depths of the earth; encountering exquisite South Korean choreography in a column of water; or being caught up in a exuberant techno parade in Woolwich; - GDIF 2017 offers outdoor theatre adventures for everyone".

GDIF forms part of the RoyAl Greenwich Festivals, an annual series of high-quality events organised by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to celebrate cultural vibrancy.

Councillor Denise Scott-McDonald, Royal Borough of Greenwich Cabinet Member for Culture, Creative Industries and Community Wellbeing, said, "This summer residents and visitors can look forward to watching - and participating in - an incredible array of events during the RoyAl Greenwich Festivals, many of which are free. Greenwich+Docklands International Festival is a central part of the celebrations."

For full information on the programme please see the listings below.

LISTINGS

De Roovers

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

Thursday 22 June-Sunday 25 June, 9pm
Peninsula Quays, Greenwich Peninsula, SE10

Tickets: £15, £12 (concessions) from gdif.eventbrite.co.uk
Limited number of free standby tickets available on the door (Queue from 8pm)

Arthur Miller's tragic masterpiece comes to a dramatic Thameside location in the UK première of acclaimed Belgian company De Roovers' adaptation, in a new English translation. A story of dock workers and illegal migrants in search of the American dream is given new resonance against the backdrop of the 21st century London riverscape.

De Roovers, founded in 1994, is a theatre ensemble that works without a director. Starting with challenging material - either classical or contemporary - the actors make and perform theatre that, through compelling text, innovative approaches to design and an urgent performance style, examines issues that are socially relevant

Compagnie des Quidams (FR)

FIERS À CHEVAL

Opening Night, Friday 23 June
Cutty Sark Gardens, Greenwich, SE10

Free

Under the gaze of the Cutty Sark's famous figurehead, a team of illuminaTEd White horses appear, accompanied by a symphonic soundtrack. French street theatre Compagnie des Quidams bring their acclaimed production FierS à Cheval to GDIF in what promises to be the most spectacular equestrian display in Greenwich since London 2012.

Luke Jerram

MUSEUM OF THE MOON

Friday 23-Sunday 25 June
Old Royal Observatory Garden, Greenwich Park, SE10

Night time performances 10pm and 11pm (Friday 23 & Saturday 24 June)£10 from gdif.eventbrite.co.uk

Free access during the day (1pm-8pm Saturday 24 June) and (12pm - 5pm Sunday 25 June)

Museum of the Moon is a new touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. Measuring seven metres in diameter, this spectacular, internally lit sculpture, features detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. The installation offers a fusion of lunar imageryand sound design created by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones.

Luke Jerram's multidisciplinary practice involves the creation of sculptures, installations and live art projects. Living in the UK but working internationally for 19 years, Jerram has created a number of extraordinary art projects which have excited and inspired people around the globe.

GREENWICH FAIR

Friday 23 - Sunday 25 June
Cutty Sark Gardens, Greenwich Town Centre, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich Park
Free to all (Some shows have limited capacity and people may need to queue)

160 years after being banned for its disruption of Victorian Greenwich, GDIF's contemporary reinvention of this nineteenth century knees up returns with more than 30 productions taking over public spaces through Maritime Greenwich. This year's programme features a special focus on artists from South Korea as well as a celebratory event called "Out In The Streets" on traffic free streets in Greenwich Town Centre on 25 June celebrating the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England. Greenwich Fair includes the following performances:

TABLE MANNERS from Avant Garde Dance (UK)

SKAGT from Captain Boomer (BE)

MASSAGER from CCOT (S. Korea)
WILLY AND WALLY FROM Cocoloco (UK)

ESPERA from Compania de Circo Eia (CATALUNYA)

THE BORDER OF THE WATER; THE SONG OF THE WIND from Creative Group SUM BI (S Korea)

CORAZON A CORAZON from Deaf Men Dancing (UK)

BABA YAGA'S HOUSE from Dizzy O'Dare (UK)

STROLLER COASTER from The Bureau of Silly Ideas and the egg (UK)

CULINARY DUEL from Etta Ermini (UK)

DA NATIVE from Far from The Norm (UK)

FLIT, FLAP & FLY from Fine Chisel (UK)

ORBIS from Humanhood (UK/SPAIN)

THE ACTUAL REALITY ARCADE from Matthew Harrison (UK)

METAMORPHOSIS from People in Backpack (S. Korea)

SEED from Pif-Paf (UK)

PAKMAN from Post Uit Hessdalen (BE)

THREE OF A KIND from The Primitives (BE)

HUMAN BODY PARTS from Snuff Puppets (AU)

FILLAGE from Sur Mesure (BE)

ROLL UP, ROLL UP from Simple Cypher (UK)

THE PRIMITIVES from Three of a Kind (BE)

VR PLAYGROUND by Thrill Laboratory (UK)

HOW I HACKED MY WAY INTO SPACE by Unlimited Theatre (UK)

FLAGRANT DELIRE from Yann Lheureux (FR)

OUT IN THE STREETS performances include:

PUPPET PARAMOUR from Boogaloo Stu (UK)

POLYESTER FIESTA from Sequin Skirt Production (UK)

LONDON GAY BIG BAND (UK)

IDA BARR's LOST PUBS from Christopher Green (UK)

OSADIA from 2 B SCENE S.L (Catalunya)

STRONG LADY from Strong Lady Productions (Australia)

BINGO LINGO from Wild N Beets (UK)

IOU Theatre (UK)

REAR VIEW

Thursday 29 June - Sunday 2 July
Thursday 29 & Friday 30 June 5pm, 6.30pm, 8pm

Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 July 12pm, 1.30pm, 3pm, 4.30pm

Begins at the Eltham Centre, 2 Archery Road, SE9

Tickets £10 from gdif.eventbrite.co.uk
(An allocation of tickets will be made available to Eltham residents via local ballot.)

Take a tour aboard IOU's custom-made bus for an unforgettable journey in reverse. Beginning in a life-drawing class, Rear View blurs the line between reality and fiction in this moving odyssey through a woman's life featuring performance poets Cecilia Knapp and Jemima Foxtrot.

Under the leadership of founding member, David Wheeler, IOU Theatre has delivered art and performance projects to audiences across Europe for the last 40 years. IOU has always worked with the technology of the time, making original work across art-forms, including sound, video and sculpture, site specific performance, interactive digital and virtual worlds.

DANCING CITY

Saturday 1 July, 1pm-5pm
Performances take place across Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Free to all

The UK's largest annual programme of free outdoor dance returns to Canary Wharf with a programme which takes over the piazzas and public spaces of London's iconic business district. A feature of GDIF since 2002, this year's surprises include pop up performances around café tables, dance in and around a revolving car and a bold and ambitious piece by 5 Spanish women on stilts.

The performances include:

COUNTRY from Matthew Bourne's New Adventures (UK)

MEN OF STEEL from Modern Table (S. Korea)

SECRET ENCOUNTERS from C12 Dance Company (UK)

LES ACHILLES from Tango Sumo (FR)

RIDE from ZoieLogic Dance Theatre (UK)

MULIER from Cia.Maduixa (SPAIN)

LOST from Motionhouse (UK)

BUG N'BUZZ from Cie Concordance (NL)

Dundu and Worldbeaters

SENSE OF UNITY

Saturday 1 July
Roman Road, E3

Sense of Unity brings the illuminated large-scale German puppet company Dundu together with the UK's LED-lit, high-energy, percussion ensemble Worldbeaters (recently seen on ITV's Britain's Got Talent) for the first time. As dusk falls, follow the band as they parade through Roman Road and discover both baby Dundu and the gentle giant Dundu. Will they find each other? Will they get on?

Enjoy the different musical worlds of Dundu, the West African Kora and the Latin American based drumming riffs and rhythms in this moving and spirited free processional event.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO WOOLWICH

Thursday 6-Saturday 8 July
Various locations across Woolwich

Free to all

One of London's most remarkable and little know riverside communities is embarking on a new chapter in its history, with the creation of a major new cultural district, which will be larger than the Southbank Centre. This programme of performances in unusual locations is designed to reveal Woolwich in new and surprising ways, from dance theatre in the atmospheric setting of the ruined St George's Guards Chapel to a hip hop performance inspired by food connecting to Woolwich's diverse and distinctive restaurant scene.

AULENKO from Arensky Chamber Orchestra (UK)

TABLE MANNERS from Avant Garde Dance (UK)

GANGA THAPA & Namlo Band

5 SOLDIERS from Rosie Kay Dance Company (UK)

Tilted Productions (UK)

BELONGING(s)Thursday 6-Saturday 8 July
Various locations on Thamesmead, SE28

Presented in association with Greenwich Dance

Ticketed £10, £8 concessions
Free tickets for Thamesmead residents

Thoughts of migration, belonging and the fleeting nature of what surrounds us are subtly provoked by this site-responsive promenade piece, which combines contemporary dance, physical theatre and an unusual use of objects and locality. Created by Maresa von Stockert in collaboration with an intergenerational cast of eight, BELONGING(s) reflects and integrates with the architecture and landscape of wherever it is being performed, turning local spaces into illusory worlds and inviting audiences to see the familiar in new ways.

Tilted Productions creates playful yet challenging cross art form collaborations merging contemporary dance, physical theatre, sound and visual art. Tilted's Artistic Director, Maresa von Stockert, creates illusionary worlds that are inspired by social, environmental and political observations and questions around our sense of place and identity.

Compagnie Off

THE COLOUR OF LIGHT

Saturday 8 July, 8.45pm
Starts from The Assembly statues, No.1 Street, Royal Arsenal Riverside, SE18

Free

One of France's leading outdoor theatre companies returns to GDIF to launch a national tour of a new production, conceived as a spectacular welcoming ceremony. With a specially commissioned new soundtrack from British Asian composer Shri Sriram, volunteer participation, special effects and giant chromatic wheels, the production will provide a stunning finale to this year's Festival.

Founded by Artistic Director Philippe Freslon in 1986, Compagnie Off started with the creation of small outdoor shows and has grown over the years into one of France's most respected outdoor companies. Previously seen at GDIF in 2011 with their iconic production of Giraffes the company are currently preparing for the world premiere of their latest production Wild Side Story based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

The Colour of Light tour dates are:

Greenwich+Docklands International Festival 8 July

Revoluton Arts Luton CPP 16 August

Cast, Doncaster 22 September

Liverpool City Council 4 November

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Greenwich+Docklands International Festival

Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) is London's leading festival of free outdoor theatre and performing arts, presented in locations across RoyAl Greenwich and East London and, in the words of The Guardian, making an "unrivalled contribution to the happiness of the people of London"

In 2016 GDIF celebrated its 21st birthday, featuring over a hundred performances from 64 national and international companies with more than 106,000 people attending.This year's festival is the most ambitious to date, spanning three weeks.

www.festival.org

Facebook: GDIFestival

Twitter: GDIFestival

About Bradley Hemmings

Under Bradley Hemmings' direction Greenwich + Docklands International Festival has set out to break new ground in outdoor arts, commissioning, producing and presenting work by a wide range of UK and International Artists. In addition to the annual Festival, he has curated the Mayor of London's Liberty festival since its inception in 2003. In 2012 he was Co-Artistic Director for the Opening Ceremony of London 2012 Paralympic Games and since then has gone on to direct other major ceremonies and events.

About RoyAl Greenwich Festivals
GDIF is presented as part of RoyAl Greenwich Festivals,an annual series of high-quality events celebrating the cultural vibrancy of RoyAl Greenwich, providing some of the best and most varied entertainment in the capital every summer. From street theatre to music to suit all tastes and invigorating dance performances, RoyAl Greenwich Festivals offer something for everyone.

About Without Walls
Without Walls, a consortium of nine of the UK's leading outdoor arts festivals and organisations, brings the best in new outdoor performance to diverse audiences all over the UK, providing opportunities for UK artists to develop bold new ideas - from large-scale spectaculars to more intimate pieces, inclusive of all art forms and genres. Since 2007, Without Walls has commissioned and supported the development of over 100 shows, many of which have toured beyond the UK to 22 countries across the world. Consortium Members: Ageas Salisbury International Arts Festival; Brighton Festival; Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF); Hat Fair; Just So Festival, Cheshire; Norfolk & Norwich Festival; Out There Festival of International Street Arts and Circus, Great Yarmouth; Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF); 101 Outdoor Arts Creation Space, Newbury. For more information visit www.withoutwalls.uk.com

Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site 20th Anniversary
Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site was inscribed by the World Heritage Convention in 1997 and comprises the historic town centre, Royal Park and related institutional buildings including the Queen's House, Royal Observatory Greenwich, National Maritime Museum and the Royal Hospital for Seamen (today the Old Royal Naval College). Maritime Greenwich is a member of a unique club of the most important cultural and natural places on earth - special places to be cared for and preserved and which people are encouraged to visit, explore and enjoy now and for generations to come. The management of the WHS ensures that the conservation and protection of the area balances with the development of new infrastructure, products and services to encourage tourism to be delivered in a sustainable way for the benefit of residents and visitors alike. For more information about the outstanding universal values that make Maritime Greenwich a World Heritage Site, visit www.greenwichworldheritage.org. To plan a visit and find out more about things to see and do in Maritime Greenwich in its 20th year, see www.visitgreenwich.org.uk

GDIF is supported by Royal Borough of Greenwich, Arts Council England, Tower Hamlets Council, Without Walls, Canary Wharf Arts and Events, Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, Peabody Trust, Greenwich Park, Greenwich Peninsula, Center Stage Korea, Korea Arts Management Service, the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Republic of Korea, the Korean Cultural Centre UK and the General Representation of Flanders in the UK. GDIF is working in collaboration with XTRAX on Platform 4:UK

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