Further to Wednesday’s spectacular Opening Ceremony for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, the London 2012 Festival is beginning an eleven day showcase of its ground-breaking commissions by disabled and deaf artists which is to run throughout the Paralympics.
The wide-ranging season at London’s Southbank Centre builds on the key themes of the ceremony, of challenging perceptions and celebrating the empowering possibilities of ideas, science and creativity, through which everyone can realise their full potential.
The 29 works featured cover dance, visual arts, music, comedy, circus and theatre. They were each commissioned for the London 2012 Festival and Cultural Olympiad Unlimited programme – the largest ever celebration of disabled and deaf artists that has been running since 2009 and highlights their work on an unprecedented scale across the UK.
The 200 artists taking part in the Unlimited Festival at Southbank Centre (30 August – 9 September) include The Graeae Theatre Company, the UK’s leading theatre company led by disabled performers whose Artistic Director Jenny Sealey was co-Artistic Director of the Paralympic Opening Ceremony.
Ruth Mackenzie, Director of London 2012 Festival and the Cultural Olympiad, said: “The Unlimited programme is unprecedented, offering more commissioning for disabled and deaf artists than any Cultural Olympiad or festival to date. We are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with world-class artists who have created brilliant work that will inspire and change perceptions when we welcome the world to London during the London 2012 Paralympic Games. I hope this will be one of our most important legacies for future Games and for disabled and deaf artists both in the UK and internationally.”
The London 2012 Festival is the spectacular 12-week nationwide celebration running from June until 9 September 2012 bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK.
