Performance showreel from from 'UNI Global TV Live Stream'
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THE HIGHLIGHTS
HERE COMES THE SUN – AN EPIC STORY OF THE WORKERS’ STRUGGLE AND THE WILL TO WIN - MAKING IT HAPPEN!
"The brief was a bit of a challenge. To tell the 150 year history of the Trade Union Movement, whilst focussing on the forward looking themes of the conference - with a cast under 25, that could only happen in Liverpool and without using any words. The best creatives in the city have worked with young people, many for whom this is a first time on stage." Claire McColgan MBE. Culture Liverpool.
UNIGLOBAL WORLD CONGRESS OPENING CEREMONY.
June 2018
Presented by Culture Liverpool in collaborative partnership with Liverpool John Moores University, the Institute of the Arts Barcelona, Liverpool Everyman Youth Theatre
The Mission
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The Opening Event was commissioned to address the main themes of the congress itself in an active response to:
The world economic crisis
International conflict and world peace
International slavery and exploitation
Climate change and global warming
The data revolution and fundamental changes to the future world of work
It was also important make it accessible for an international, multilingual audience yet with a distinctive Liverpool flavour and identity.
Rather than just co-ordinated spectacle the opening event told an epic, modern, allegorical, mythical story encompassing the congress slogan, ‘Making It Happen’ in its response to the challenges presented by these major themes.
In partnership with Uniglobal, Culture Liverpool and LJMU, the project created a large scale theatrical opening event at the Liverpool Echo Arena for around 4000 delegates and guests from all over the world. This was networked internationally and involved young people from partnerships with the Everyman Youth Theatre, the Philharmonic, a group from LJMU and their partners at IAB, the Institute of the Arts Barcelona performance school who brought in an international cohort of young performing artists. There was also a 300 strong People’s Choir of volunteer singers from PopVox. They all came together, over 360 performers in all, in a choreographed, musical and visual spectacle, which represented our city's creativity at its best with a local, national and international profile.
Artistic Director of the project, Andrew Sherlock also employed additional key members of LJMU Staff from Dance and Drama and local artists and practitioners from the city.
The opening event was on the evening of Sunday 17th June 2018 with keynotes from TUC General Secretary, Frances O’Grady and Labour Party Leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
Andrew Sherlock. Artistic Director UniGlobal Opening Ceremony. 2018.
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