ABOUT
To help provide a warm and uniquely Brummie welcome to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, a special ceremony was performed by local students and Birmingham based theatre professionals as the 6,500 athletes and team officials from the 72 nations and territories arrived at the Birmingham 2022 campus villages across the region.
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LYNNEBEC and students aged between 16 and 18 from BOA Stage & Screen Production, presented ‘A Thousand Welcomes' which created a colourful welcome, to competing athletes and team officials.
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Celebrating Birmingham’s innovation, community and diversity, the welcome ceremonies showcased the city’s heritage of dance and cuisine, as well as share stories that have inspired the people that make Birmingham their home.
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The ceremonies took place at the campus villages and included a welcome speech from the Chef De Mission and raising of the nation or territory’s flag whilst their national anthem is played.
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CREDITS
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Commissioned by
Birmingham 2022
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Co Artistic Directors
Jessica Barber & Cat Butler
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Dramaturg/Outside Eye
Beth Kapila
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Creative Collaborator
Vidya Patel
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Senior Producer/Critical Friend
Amy Dalton Hardy
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Junior Producer
Rodrigo Carter
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Access Consultancy
Rachel Liggitt
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Production Stage Manager
Elliott Mitchell
Sound Design
DEMARAE
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Set Design
Eleni Edipidi​
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Costume Design
Leanne Fitchett
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Devisors & Performers
Vidya Patel
Sohan Kailey
Robin Dale
Sioda Adams
Anaya Vasudha Bolar
Sam Newton
Risha Silvera
Oliver Barker
Rodrigo Carter
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Performers
Stage and Screen Students from
BOA Stage and Screen Production
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REFLECTIONS
That’s a wrap on the Athletes Welcomes Ceremonies! We’re not sure we have the words to summarise the past 9 months but here goes…
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This has been the biggest project we’ve ever worked on, it’s the first time we’ve created a show for an international stage, and an audience that consisted of athletes from 72 nations and territories no less! During the pandemic we dreamed of creating outdoor work of this scale and we couldn’t believe it when we were first commissioned. It has pushed us to grow and expand our company at lightning speed with a few wobbly moments along the way, but we are unbelievably proud of ourselves and our teams determination, creativity and support throughout this process.
Together, we created something really special and we could not have done it without these incredibly talented and supportive humans, a hundred thousand thanks to:
Amy Dalton Hardy: Senior Producer and Critical Friend
Elliot Mitchell: Company/Stage Manager
Rodrigo Carter: Junior Producer and Performer
Vidya Patel: Creative Collaborator and Performer
Sioda Adams: Devisor and Performer
Sam Newton: Devisor and Performer
Risha Silvera: Devisor and Performer
Anaya Vasudha Bolar: Devisor and Performer
Oliver Barker: Devisor and Performer
Beth Kapila: Dramaturg and Outside Eye
DEMARAE: Sound Designer
Leanne Fitchett: Costume Designer
Eleni Edipidi: Set Designer
Rachel Liggitt: Access Consultant
Zoie Golding: Outdoor Arts Consultant
BROADEN: Documentation
BOA Stage and Screen Production Academy (with a special shout out to the amazing students and acting teacher Keely Wright)!
Louisa and Claire at #B2022 - thank you for trusting us with this very special task
Finally, a huge shout out to all the cheerleaders, funders, volunteers and organisations who have supported LYNNEBEC along the way, we are so grateful and so excited for whatever the future holds.