Paralympic Opening Ceremony 2012 - we were there!

30 August 2012

Congratulations to Jenny Sealey (Graeae Theatre Company) and Bradley Hemmings (Greenwich Docklands Festivals), and all of the volunteers and amazing performers who made this such as special performance. The ceremony picked up brilliantly where the Olympics left off just a few weeks ago, and we thought it was an excellently sculpted and sophisticated piece of work, really showcasing how far we've come!

In fact we haven't stopped talking about it since!

We are proud to have worked with Graeae Theatre Company on various partnership projects over the years, including last year's Biggest Learning Opportunity on Earth. It was developed following a 2007 Demos report of the same name, commissioned by Creative Partnerships in London, and made recommendations for engaging young people in Olympic-related activity.

Through the programme, 140 schools partnered with a selection of 14 of London's best arts organisations (including Graeae) that enabled almost 12,000 young people to explore their relationship with the city in preparation for the Games.

Back in 2006, we worked with Graeae on a collaboration entitled 'The Room of Many Me's', which aimed to encourage young people to engage their imaginations and gain greater understanding of accessibility issues and disabilities.

Outcomes included the opportunity to share work across schools, and the development of respect for people with disabilities and learning differences. You can download an essay documenting the project here from our free resources section.

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