Very public display of Henley Festival supersize art
June 2009
Henley Festival's spectacular supersize art project for schools, 'Rings Around the World', will be creating a real stir down by the riverside when the fruits of several months' work get their public viewing during Festival time. The 10 giant murals will provide a unique and colourful addition to this year's Festival and will be appreciated by all who walk along the river.
600 schoolchildren who took part in the project have been invited down to the River Thames on Thursday 9 July between 1.30 and 2.30pm to view the 200' long exhibition of giant painting. The project has been officially recognised by London 2012 through its Inspire programme - in recognition of its outstanding quality and innovative links to the London 2012 Games.
'Rings Around the World' was this year's SHOUT! outreach programme for schools, run and funded by the Henley Festival's charitable arm, the Henley Festival Trust. The project created ten murals on huge canvases 20'x6', one in each of ten participating local schools, under the guidance of mural specialists Hugh Jart. The theme of the project was based on the 5 continents symbolised by the Olympic 'linked rings' logo: Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America. Music and dance added another dimension to the project, with community dance specialists The Dance Movement, music animateur Andy Baker and percussionist Joby Burgess working with the schools to create performance pieces inspired by the international themes.
Says Stewart Collins, The Henley Festival's Artistic Director; 'This has been an incredible project and made even more special by the the Inspire Mark award. The murals will really add colour to the town and there aren't many places that can boast this kind of fantastic creative input from its local schoolchildren during the summer months.'
The Henley Festival Family Concert - a musical journey across Africa and Latin America, will take place at 2.30pm at Christ Church, Henley on Sunday 12 July, and this will showcase the musical elements from this year's SHOUT project and will feature the Henley Festival Orchestra.
For more information on the Henley Festival Trust and its work, visit the Henley Festival website at www.henley-festival.co.uk
