Are you ready for two weeks of immersive installations, dance performances, and travelling and pop-up events?
Greenwich + Docklands International Festival (GDIF) has adapted this year to bring you a socially-distanced programme of events that aim to inspire, uplift and bring you together.
This much needed celebration of the arts will take place from Friday 28th August until Saturday 12th September, with an eclectic mix of dance, art, theatre and spectacle.
Instead of a large-scale opening event, this year the festival has created a special project, Weaving Together, which brings people together in a different way. To create the Weaving Together project, the local community took part in various activities during lockdown; creating everything from poetry to specially woven items. The results of these activities will be ‘woven’ into the festival’s On Your Doorstep travelling events.
Dance performances at the festival
Dance performances will include forgotten characters in Black Victorians. Taking place in the ruins of Victorian St George’s Garrison Church, this performance offers audiences an opportunity to experience history through choreography. If you want to discover more dance performances, this year’s festival will also feature Dancing City.
Dancing City events will include Why? performed on a free-standing vertical wall, and a flamboyant celebration of African cool with Dandyism. Expect costume, colour and stilts in Rainbow Ballet and a surprising take on age, race and gender in dance duet Catch Me.
Quirky installations to enjoy
For those of you who enjoy art in the form of quirky and uplifting installations, then the festival programme’s use of light, fire, sound and imagery will interest you.
Luke Jerram will be bringing both NHS tribute In Memorium and Earth-inspired Gaia to the festival. Chorus will see Ray Lee’s large metal sound and light tripods creating a sonic spectacle in Greenwich. Meanwhile, over in the Royal Docks, Lee’s Ring Out will see large bell-like structures on industrial towers create an electronic peel of tones.
For the night owls amongst you, The Weavers of Woolwich, a giant illuminated book, and immersive experience Fire Garden, are ready to be enjoyed after dark.
If you are in London this September, you might also enjoy the Totally Thames festival.
When: 28th August – 12th September 2020
Where: At sites across the Greenwich and Docklands area, London
£: Free, but booking is required for some events
More info: festival.org/gdif
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