Greenwich + Docklands International Festival has unveiled the dates, theme and initial highlights for this year’s festival of free outdoor arts and theatre.

Returning to London from 26 Aug-11 Sep for 18 extraordinary days of UK and international outdoor arts, this year’s underlying theme is COMMON GROUND.

Highlights revealed include:

  • Peter Hudson’s CHARON, a monumental 32ft high artwork featuring Zoetrope technology that originated at BURNING MAN FESTIVAL, will be presented exclusively in the UK at GDIF at a new festival site in the Royal Docks.
  • House of Suarez, creators of the legendary touring annual VOGUE BALL, present HOUSE OF OAK AND IRON, a powerful response to colonial history through contemporary dance and voguing at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
  • In a UK premiere, German artist Stephanie Lüning will unleash a tidal wave of multi-coloured foam at Greenwich Peninsula with ISLAND OF FOAM: VERSION XVIII in a sublime and entrancing transformation of public space.
  • Innovative participatory theatre company Fevered Sleep premiere THE SKY IS FILLED WITH THUNDER, an immersive audio promenade experience in Thamesmead capturing the voices of children’s hopes, fears and dreams in all their emotional complexity.
  • The Royal Ballet in collaboration with disabled dancer Joe Powell-Main present SLEEPWALKER an inclusive new commission at Dancing City, which takes place across the public spaces and waterfronts of Canary Wharf.
  • Using stilts and choreography, Spanish company Cia Maduixa tell the story of female migrants fighting for a place to call home in MIGRARE, a poetic UK premiere taking place against the backdrop of the Thames at Canary Wharf.
  • Afro street moves collide with tech and LED visuals in CROWD_CTRL, a dance and digital collaboration between choreographer AndroidX (AKA Malick Bright), scenographers MHz and London’s Dragonsquad busking crew.

GDIF’s full programme of outdoor theatre, installations, dance and circus includes a total of 25 premieres (12 UK premieres and 13 new to London) and a spectacular opening headline event which will be revealed in June.

For more info visit: GDIF