A partnership between East London Dance, Hofesh Shechter Company, Historic Royal Palaces and LIFT has announced East Wall, a long-term development project culminating in a presentation of dance and live music in the moat at the Tower of London as part of LIFT 2018.
Hofesh Shechter will create the score and direct the production in collaboration with up-and-coming choreographers from London drawn from East London Dance’s network.
A young community cast from East London will work alongside emerging professional dancers and musicians to offer audiences the chance to experience a large-scale spectacle for free from Tower Hill.
East Wall, the first project announced for the next bi-annual LIFT festival, will further the Historic Royal Palaces ambition to commission art for the Tower of London moat following the success of the poppies project Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red.
Shechter said, "from my first encounter with East London Dance’s group, The Fi.ELD, I was hooked. These young artists were not only impressive and determined in their drive to make work but they were incredibly inspiring to me as role models. Not just for other young people but for artists at all stages of their careers including myself. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can make together."
Polly Risbridger, Director, East London Dance, added, "this ambitious new project grew out of demand from the young artists we work with at East London Dance who unanimously identified Hofesh Shechter as a choreographer they wanted to learn from. We feel very proud to be enabling our East London community to engage with such an incredible company over such a sustained period of time, and to be working so closely with Historic Royal Palaces and LIFT."
Deborah Shaw, Head of Creative Programming for Historic Royal Palaces, said, "through creative partnerships like East Wall, Historic Royal Palaces is able to explore new and exciting ways to tell the stories of the Tower and reach a wider audience.
"Building on the success and impact of the poppies in 2014, we wanted to establish the moat at the Tower of London as a new outdoor performance site for London. East Wall will be a major part of establishing this reputation over the next few years and we look forward to collaborating with Hofesh Shechter Company, East London Dance and LIFT to produce a visually stunning and site-specific performance in 2018."