Fanfare 19 June
The Bell 19 June
Greenwich Bites 19-22 June
Time is like... 19-22 June
Bend It... 19-22 June
Run! 20 June
Full Circle 21 June
Dancing City 22 June
Festival Feasts

Day by day listings

London Piazza, The O2
Thursday 19 June – Sunday 22 June
FREE

Sponsored by The O2
Supported by Greenwich Council, Arts Council England, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, London Councils.

‘Time is like water flowing in a stream,
once it is gone you cannot have it back’

Chinese landscape painting is brought to life on an epic scale in this specially commissioned production uniting exquisite depictions of towering mountains and rivers with aerial performance, martial arts and innovative multi-media effects. In a poetic evocation of passing time and seasonal change, the creative energy of Chinese traditional and contemporary artforms will combine with European virtuosity in creating spectacle, transporting you from the T’ang Dynasty to 21st century Beijing in the blink of an eye.

Thursday 19 June 1.00pm
Friday 20 June 6.00pm, 8.30pm
Saturday 21 June 1.00pm, 4.00pm
Sunday 22 June 1.00pm, 4.00pm
Runs approx 40 mins

London Piazza
The O2
North Greenwich, SE10
By Tube: North Greenwich
By Bus: 129, 188, 422, M1, M2, 108, 472
By Car: Limited pre booked car parking is available
By Thames Clipper: Queen Elizabeth II Pier
Venue information: www.theo2.co.uk
Access: Level access to performance space. Disabled parking is available. Specially adapted toilet available.

Please phone us on 020 8305 5023 or email access@festival.org to discuss any access requirements.

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Time is like water flowing... Artists

French company Les Passagers, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2008, is internationally renowned for its unique form of vertical theatre, integrating visual arts, dance and music. Led by inspirational director Philippe Riou, the company’s work has been seen at leading European festivals, as well as in Russia, Brazil, USA and the Far East. Last year GDF commissioned Les Passagers to create a Bollywood spectacular for the Trafalgar Square Festival with a team of Mumbai film poster painters. Amongst other forthcoming engagements this summer, the company will perform as part of major Quebec 400 anniversary celebrations in Montreal.
www.compagnielespassagers.com

Since the earliest paintings of the Han dynasty, landscape paintings have been the quintessence of Chinese art. Leading contemporary artist Huang Yan has given this tradition new direction - by transposing it onto the human body. Very few artists expressing the encounter between Chinese traditional culture and the contemporary world have been so successful in simultaneously capturing the fusion and the paradox that this encounter generates and Huang Yan’s extraordinary work has been shown at major exhibitions across the world.
www.chinesecontemporary.com/huang_yan.htm

Original music for this production has been created by Liz Chi Yen Liew and Tom E Morrison. Acclaimed for her innovative work as part of electro acoustic violin group Chi 2, Liz Liew is well known for her eclectic and dynamic juxtapositions between Chinese and western styles. Tom E Morrison is an award winning composer and producer whose work has taken in mixing and engineering for the legendary UK band Underworld and composing film music for directors such as Ken Loach and Jackie Chan.
www.chi2.co.uk
www.tom-e-morrison.com

To purchase a CD of the music for 'Time is like water flowing', please click here. To listen to an extract click here

Sin-man Yue is the director of the Sinman Dance Company which combines traditional Chinese and contemporary dance approaches. Previous choreographic commissions have included work for Resolution! at the Place and the ROH2 New Currents season at the Royal Opera House.
www.sinmandancecompany.com

8gg is a multi-media duo based in Beijing comprising two dynamic figures in the world of new media: Jiang Haiqing and Fu Yu. Their works include music, video, installation, drama and web arts. In 2002 8gg developed their own real-time audio-visual system which integrates sound and images and their work has been successfully shown in major international media festivals in Australia, Germany and the USA.
www.8gg.com

Artistic Director: Philippe Riou
Performers: Les Passagers
Artist: Huang Yan
Music: Liz Chi Yen Liew and Tom E Morrison
Choreography: Sin-man Yue
Wushu master: Raphael Van
Multi-media: 8gg
Advice on Chinese artists: Christine Yau

GDIF is delighted to be returning to The O2 this year, following the success of Out of the Blue at the 2007 Festival which provided the opening event of what is now officially the world’s most popular venue.
www.theo2.co.uk

Download a pdf of this year's brochure with all maps and photos
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