That was one big weekend. As we come down the other side of the mountain, Artistic Director Julian Bracey shares some thoughts and behind-the-scenes info from the mammoth production that was UNITY, our section of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant… You can watch the BBC coverage here.
Diversity and inclusion
Julian says: “We want to make shows with the best artists and crew available. We also want to make shows that resonate with as broad an audience as possible. If you want a really exciting, interesting cast & crew you need to be open to seeing the value in everyone.
We were aware that the Jubilee was going to be watched by millions of people and we wanted the audience to be inspired by the power of diversity with no limitations. Creating a platform to do this presents certain challenges but it’s often the challenges in art that make it exciting.
I wanted the audience to be proud of the many different diverse members of our group and realise how lucky we are to live in a country where we can celebrate diversity and to realise how proud we should be of these exceptional people. “
Our performance for the Jubilee Pageant included around 90 young dancers, the youngest aged 5…it included community wheelchair basketballers, professional mountainbike and bmx athletes, trampolinists, circus artists, unicyclists, bouncy stilts, aerialists, breakdance and the drivers, vehicles, technical and production team to pull this all off.
Steppaz
It was an absolute pleasure working with Aunty Stacey (CEO), Abena (Choreographer) and all of the wonderful, energetic, outstandingly talented Steppaz, who made this performance their own and gave it their all. We loved having them in our team and together we created something we will all remember for the rest of our lives.
Aerial performance
The balloon joined us on the route after Admiralty Arch, as it was too big to fit under the arch!
Design and sustainability
Wheels
We wanted to include as much movement as possible in the performance as well as showcasing a diverse array of skills. The bicycle team, headed up by 5 x UK and European trials mountainbike champion Danny Butler, included platforms fixed to the back of 2 JLR Defenders, as well as 2 professional bmx riders performing stunts on ramps ahead of the float. Two unicyclists moved up and down the space, bunnyhopping and balancing together. We were delighted to connect with Sparrows Wheelchair Basketball club from Hackney, who brought 8 basketballers to join us in our parade.
Memorable moments
From DJ Milktray getting a big wave from the royal family, to the sight of Andrew Gregory flying through the air and our bmxers jumping and backflipping in front of Buckingham Palace, there were so many memorable moments. There is now an amazing Tramp Wall team based in the UK…there wasn’t before! Some hair-raising moments too, like tight tunnels on the float’s route into London, low hanging trees engulfing the trampolinists and sections of sand on the route causing difficulty to our wheelchair users. But most of all we will remember the dedication, commitment and motivation of our team of outstanding artists, who worked their socks off to achieve something truly extraordinary. You know who you are. Thank you.
Photo Credit: Elmar Rubio, Andre Pattenden, Platinum Jubilee Pageant / BBC