A Forest in the City - Festival Children’s Parade

1,000 children welcomed into the Square Mile to present art in the streets

A vibrant display of music, dance, sculpture and puppetry on Friday 28 June 2013 with 1,000 primary and secondary students responding to the theme A Forest in the City and an extended theme of ‘Fruit Trees’. Featuring artwork inspired by native British trees and forestry, the parade will have a centrepiece project involving sixteen schools and artist-led workshops using tons of the City’s recyclable waste.

Route includes: Guildhall Yard, Cheapside, Paternoster Square and a finale concert at St Paul’s Steps at 1.30pm.

In partnership with the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers

To take part in the Parade, download and complete the application form.

At Sixes and Sevens: City Walls

London and Derry~Londonderry join hands in creative song-writing

Secondary school students will develop an understanding of the historic relationship between the City of London and Derry~Londonderry, putting into context the new At Sixes and Sevens cantata composed by Mark Anthony Turnage with words by Paul Muldoon. Poetry will be incorporated into musical performances developed by the Festival in partnership with LSO Discovery and Guildhall School Creative Learning as part of a community performance element.

Performance: Wednesday 3 July 2013, Guildhall

Tree Trail: Acorn art song

Original tree trail inspired by the City’s ancient trees and their stories

As part of the City of London Festival 2013 celebrations, the City of London Festival will create a Tree Trail to add to the City of London’s current portfolio of interpretation leaflets. The trail will be aimed at adults, families and children, enabling them to learn about the historical and environmental significance of the trees in the City and to discover, explore and enjoy the City’s Open Spaces. In partnership with the City of London and Trees for Cities.

Primary school students will develop the content for the Tree Trail to create a tour of London trees, including ancient and rare varieties in the City gardens. Classroom activity will look at the life cycles of trees and outcomes will include the production of illustrations for a City Tree Trail and performances as part of the festival in City gardens.

Walls of Sound: Towards a Level Playing Field

Developing music training and performance opportunities for disabled and non-disabled students

Part of a longer term Festival Education project that aims to grow creative opportunities for integrated music collaborations through composition and performance, for disabled musicians to work alongside their non-disabled peers and to develop instrument training pathways and audiences for this work. Building on the City of London Festival’s 2012 partnership with Drake Music, four groups of secondary age students will work using their voices and alternative technology to develop a piece of music responding to the themes of city walls and conflict and resolution. These pieces will be edited by the students and Drake Music to create one whole piece of recorded music to be featured at various sections of the old City of London wall as part of the Free Summer Events programme.

The project will also connect with music education work around similar themes undertaken in walled cities such as Berlin, Dubrovnik, Nicosia, Jerusalem, shared through long-distance performance platforms and exchange.

Open-air ballet

Animating the City spaces with exquisite dance

Choreographer Marc Brew will work with students from the Central School of Ballet to devise/choreograph a 15 minute dance work based around the themes of the Festival. This will appear over the course of the Festival at various iconic City venues, such as St Paul’s, the Gherkin and the Monument.