Trustees: Simon Hughes MP (Chair) John Barker, Erica Bolton, Cllr Jim Dickson, Henry Fajemirokun, Robert Gordon Clark, Kate Hoey MP, Sue Hughes, Phil Morris, George Nicholson, Huilin Proctor, Justine Simons, Uday Thakkar, Iain Tuckett Thames Festival Mallside The Bargehouse Oxo Tower Wharf Bargehouse Street London SE1 9PH Tel: 020 7928 8998 Fax: 020 7928 2927 www.thamesfestival.org The Mayor's Thames Festival 10 and 11 September 2011 A weekend-long celebration of London and the River Thames London’s largest free festival sees feasting, performances and spectacle along the banks of the river Tower Bridge to the London Eye With wonderful food, drink, music, interactive art, performances, an illuminated night carnival and river firework finale, the Mayor's Thames Festival is one of Europe's most spectacular free events. Southwark Bridge will be closed to traffic for the annual Feast on the Bridge and hundreds of artists, performers, musicians and installations transform London's south bank in a weekend showcase of London's creativity. A giant shipwreck will have been installed outside City Hall and live performances will take place across the site. Come and see Mercury Prize-nominated artist Ghostpoet and the incredible Dionne Bromfield performing on the Barclaycard Stage at Tate Modern, check out the burning beats at White Mink's Electro Swing Speakeasy and the Lady Luck Jive stage, or simply tuck in at our fabulous sustainable fish feast. Kick back and enjoy the festival's family-friendly river and environment zone, marvel at displays of Korean Taekwondo or head over to St Katharine Docks to see a fabulous variety of vintage boats, sculling races and a retro fashion show. You can even take an exclusive cruise on the Thames with hosts including Charlie Dark, Maxwell Hutchinson, David Starkey, and the creators of Rastamouse. The Festival's illuminated Night Carnival takes place on Sunday evening and brings together over 2,000 dancers, drummers and masqueraders. If you see the procession from Victoria Embankment, you'll have a prime spot to view our spectacular Fireworks Finale. Supported by its principal partner Barclaycard, the Mayor of London and Arts Council England, the Festival is delivered by the Thames Festival Trust. Adrian Evans, Festival Director, The Mayor’s Thames Festival, said: “This year’s weekend is going to be a true spectacular. The Festival brings Londoners together to celebrate the things that make the city great and this year we’ll be bigger than ever”. The Thames Festival Trust Registered Office 108 Stamford Street London SE1 9NH. Registered in England No 3577462. Charity No 1074794. VAT No 782 5019 24 The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “As the summer comes to a close, the Thames Festival is a magnificent celebration of the important role the river has played in the life of the capital over millennia. Immensely popular, always spectacular, it also highlights the warm community spirit as well as creativity to be found in our great city - I especially like the way it gets young Londoners involved. The festival is a truly unique event, which will have a significant role in our celebrations marking the 2012 Games, adding to the colour and excitement of an amazing year for the capital.” For more information please s.kidby@thamesfestival.org contact Sam Kidby on 07946278480 or at Notes to Editors The Mayor’s Thames Festival is London’s largest free festival, a spectacular two-day celebration of London and the River Thames, attracting over 800,000 people every September. The festival transforms spaces on and around the River Thames with a vibrant mix of music, dance, feasting, carnival, river races, art installations and street performances. It takes place every September, with a weekend of outdoor events on the river from the London Eye to Tower Bridge and beyond. Through the Festival’s year-round learning and participation programme it works with over 300 schools and community groups across London, engaging 10,000 young people. The Thames Festival Trust is a not-for-profit charitable trust with an independent board of trustees. The Mayor’s Thames Festival 2011 takes place on 10 and 11 September. For more information, please visit www.thamesfestival.org Full programme: Please follow the links below for specific information on the events taking place at the Thames Festival. Electro Swing Speakeasy Taking the sounds and style of the 1920s to ‘50s, turning them on their head and smuggling them back into the 21st century. (Sat 10 September 2011) Lady Luck Jive Stage Live bands and some of the best DJs on the jive circuit (Sun 11 September 2011) Barclaycard Stage An amazing eclectic line-up of the very best of today's up-and-coming bands (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Les Celestes. Beautiful illuminated aerial sculptures from France (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Feast on the Bridge – curated by Clare Patey Bringing people together in celebration to share food, to talk, to dance and to reclaim a beautiful public space in the heart of the city (Sat 10 September 2011) Thames Parade A flotilla of over 100 working recreational and historic boats, both old and new, with live music (Sat 10 September 2011) The Thames Festival Trust Registered Office 108 Stamford Street London SE1 9NH. Registered in England No 3577462. Charity No 1074794. VAT No 782 5019 24 Night Carnival Britain's biggest and best illuminated night-time Carnival procession (Sun 11 September 2011) Fireworks finale What better way to end the Festival than with a bang? (Sun 11 September 2011) A cruise in the company of… These cruises will pass through the centre of the Thames Festival, with commentaries delivered by various personalities, including Rastamouse and David Starkey (Sun 11 September 2011) Magnificent Revolution’s Cycle-In Cinema Resurrecting the abandoned corners of the capital and weaving some cinematic magic into unexpected spaces (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Korea Calling Showcasing the very best of Korean culture, music, as well as amazing taekwondo and theatre (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Barge-Driving races Teams compete in this impressive race, requiring both skill and strength to propel these heavy un-powered vessels and ride the river currents (Sun 11 September 2011) Al Fresco Tango Tango returns by popular demand with a mix of classic and electro tango led by Sean A.McGee and El Farabute (Sat 10 September 2011) Kids’ Choir Children’s mass choir made up of 700 voices from 45 London primary schools (Sun 11 September 2011) UP Projects Four ground-breaking light pieces have been commissioned by up projects in partnership with Shangri-la Glastonbury Festival (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Orlando Gough – Transmission A short and intense percussion piece using HMS Belfast as an instrument (Sat 10 September 2011) Thames Revival Bringing the history of the river back to life, celebrating vintage glamour, classic boats and the golden days of sailing (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) White Rabbit Storytelling. Performance storytelling in a beautiful creative environment (Sat 10 September 2011) The BFI’s Vintage Mobile Cinema Bus A vintage-themed day of film and fun for all (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Festival Market Quality crafts and delicious food and drink from across the globe including a special focus on food from Korea and crafts from Central and Eastern Europe (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) The Thames Festival Trust Registered Office 108 Stamford Street London SE1 9NH. Registered in England No 3577462. Charity No 1074794. VAT No 782 5019 24 New European Village Showcasing cultural activity from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September) Photo Masterclasses The chance to hone your snapping skills with free drop-in photography classes for Festival visitors (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) BFI IMAX free screenings Family-friendly free 3D screenings on festival mornings (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Akari Lantern Project Lantern-making workshops all weekend, followed by a lit procession in the Carnival (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Firing on the Foreshore Learn about the Thames and Bankside from an archaeological perspective (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Rivers of the World A show of river-inspired artworks from around the world (Tues 16 August – Sun 11 September 2011) Chapeau Magique and La Galette How much fun can you have with 7 kilometres of paper? (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Watch This Space at the National Theatre Join Watch This Space for some spectacular outdoor theatre (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Blue Ribbon Village Thames Festival’s family-friendly, interactive river and environment zone (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Reclaimed by the Thames A life-size skeletal wreck of a ship is built in front of City Hall (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 201) Cadbury Spots v Stripes Minute To Win It How much fun and bonkers challenges can you squeeze into 60 seconds? (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Sing for Water Choirs from across the UK journey to the Thames Festival to sing in a unique massed choir concert (Sun 11 September 2011) Disco Shed Turning the traditional garden shed on its head! (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) Thames Sailing Barge ‘Lady Daphne’ Relive history by sailing right through the Festival site on an historic vessel, and see Tower Bridge raise from underneath! (Sat 10 – Sun 11 September 2011) The Thames Festival Trust Registered Office 108 Stamford Street London SE1 9NH. Registered in England No 3577462. Charity No 1074794. VAT No 782 5019 24