From 25 – 30 September 2017, the Festival of lmagineers returns to Coventry, bringing streets and unexpected locations to life with extraordinary live arts, astounding performances and incredible installations.
Now in its third year, the Festival of lmagineers has become a staple of the region’s arts scene; a vibrant celebration of art, design and engineering in the heart of the industrial Midlands. The Festival is presented in partnership with Coventry’s bid to be the 2021 City of Cult ure.
International artists, designers, architects and engineers will come together for this free family friendly celebration of creative ingenuity. The event is an opportunity for residents and visitors to the cit y to imagine, make and be inspired, as city spaces and streets are transformed through activities, talks, workshops, and outdoor performances.
Highlights of the 2017 festival include;
- Museum of the Moon by artist Luke Jerram; a seven-metre diameter illuminated replica of the moon suspended over the Sports Centre Swimming pool. This will include the underwater and poolside performance ‘Broken Tusk’ by Balbir Singh Dance Company.
- Virtual Reality Playground by Brendan Walker; visitors can don a virtual reality headset, jump on a playground swing, and be transported on an exhilarating swing-powered adventure.
- The Winter’s Tale at Coventry Cathedral Ruins; A co-production between lmagineer Productions and Teatr Biuro Podrozy, this processional performance includes extraordinary stilt walkers, fire and music.
- Dancing Bicycles by Balbir Singh Dance Company; action packed performance features Keelan Phillips, UK and Euro champion BMX rider.
- lllumaphonium; a dynamic, multi-sensory, and interactive music installati on. Everyone is invited to play this semi acoustic music making sculpt ure.
- Helen Marriage will deliver a talk in Coventry Cathedral; an opportunity to hear Founder and Artistic Director of Artichoke, speak about the company’s extraordinary work which has inspired millions of people over the past decade.
Throughout the week Cardboardia (an international community of artists, performers, event managers and experts from Russia, USA, UK, the Netherlands) will lead a making laboratory with the local communities at Moat House Leisure & Neighbourhood Centre in Wood End. This will culminate in walkabout performances for the festival finale which will combine beautiful and quirky cardboard structures and props, performance, partici pat ion , dance and Tyran of Cardboardia’s newly developed giant Alchemical Music Box.
In addition, on Tuesday 26 September there will be a conference for educationalists and industrialists. Inspiring Change (presented by lmagineer Productions in partnership with Warwick University and The Paul Hamlyn Foundation) is the first regional conference exploring the impact and models of working within education which incorporate arts practice into the teaching of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM subjects).
Claire Maddocks Festival Director explains; “We are excited to announce two years of funding for the festival from Arts Council England, and this year have a tremendous programme of events and activities happening across the city. From dramatic performances in the Cathedral to an enormous moon suspended above the sports centre swimming pool, there will be a host of unexpected and joyful experiences for all to enjoy. This year’s theme is ‘transformations’, and we hope we’ll be able to transform both residents and visit ors’ perceptions of our city through these works.”
For full programme details visit imagineer-productions.co.uk or the festival Facebook page. #imaginecov