A fete will be held to celebrate the first anniversary of the London Olympics opening ceremony. File picture: Martin Rickett/PA Archive

Fete to celebrate first anniversary of London Olympics

Wednesday, March 6, 2013
12:16 AM

An “urban fete” will mark the first anniversary of the London Olympics opening ceremony.

East, curated by the Barbican and east London arts venture Create London, will take place in the north of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

It will feature live music, food, art, dance, theatre and literature inspired by east London, and will celebrate the opening of the North Park to the public - the first part of the park to open after the Games.

Hadrian Garrard, director of Create London, said that the event, held on July 27 and July 28, would be “a counterpart to the big flashy, flag-waving expensive ticket offers that we’ve seen previously”.

He said: “All the programming we’re doing is focused around getting people to explore the space in a different way. It’s not big stages...it’s using the park as a park.”

Dennis Hone, chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, the body in charge of the park after the Games, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Barbican and Create London to bring two days of theatre, magic and music to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

“Alongside our full summer events programme and the London Anniversary Games this event shows the breadth of entertainment that will be on offer in the park when we fully open in spring 2014.”

The Barbican also announced separate events taking place in other east London venues as part of its future programming, including an installation in Dalston which will give visitors the sense that they are climbing up a Victorian terraced house.

Off-site children’s theatre will include Bank On It, a topical production about economics, while Super Furry Animals’ singer Gruff Rhys has co-created a theatre show Praxis Makes Perfect.