Discover an exciting free festival of outdoor theatre, circus, dance, magic, music, and puppetry in Pop-Up London starting tomorrow! See more than 200 artists perform in public spaces across central London this halfterm, such as Trafalgar Square, Canary Wharf, King’s Cross station, and St Paul’s Churchyard. There’s loads of great Outdoor Arts to see including Canapé Art by Levantes Dance Theatre, Feet off the Ground dance collective’s Creature Comforts, Pigfoot Theatre’s How to Save a Rock, Let Drum Beat, Jack Defrost by Traceworks Dance, Metronomes Steel Orchestra, Diwali-Festival of Lights with Akademi Arts, the Peruvian Latin Folk Flash Mob, SeeSaw Sounds from Del Taylor and Ruth Fenton, Gandini Juggling’s Smashed2, Dionysus Ensemble’s The Carnival of the Animals, The Lips by Puppets with Guts, plus many many more.
Today, Little Amal, a 3.5 metre-tall puppet of a young refugee girl at the heart of Good Chance Theatre’s The Walk, will continue her epic journey and visit Lewisham, where a giant fairground wheel has been erected in her honour, and later the Royal Docks for a sensory storytelling journey, filled with live performance, food, film, beatboxing, music and dance. Tomorrow Amal will continue on to central London, where you’ll be able to see her at St Pauls, The Globe, the Southbank Centre, the National Theatre, and Somerset House. In each location artists and communities will welcome Amal with exciting events and performances of poetry, music, theatre, and dance. After a busy day exploring London, Amal will rest at the Royal Opera House, and then on Sunday she will celebrate her 10th birthday, visiting the V&A Museum, Trafalgar Square, and The Roundhouse.
The Royal Docks Originals Festival is in full swing, with exciting new world premieres, free family activities, diverse artworks, theatre, workshops, and music. One highlight not to miss is The Royal Docks Rainbows! Get ready for a fun, flavourful revelation as international multi-sensory experience designers Bompas & Parr have created the world’s first rainbow you can interact with. Head below Silvertown Way, Britain’s first flyover, and you’ll find the Royal Docks Flavour Rainbow, an incredible sensory experience that immerses you in the history of the Royal Docks and Newham. Then experience the community-led show Arrival, where performers will take you on an audio-visual journey through local streets: there’ll be music, beatboxing, dance and many more surprises packed into the show.
Blackpool’s Lightpool Festival continues this weekend, with an amazing free programme of light-based art installations, parades, lasers, live performances, family-friendly activities, and 3D projection shows. This weekend see Symphony of Light, experience the finale of the World Fireworks Championship Blackpool, watch the Blackpool Tower Projections, and follow the town centre Light Art Trail to see outdoor spaces and iconic buildings transformed by spectacular light works.
Join Whispered Tales in Ilford tomorrow for Distant Drums, a thought-provoking digital art installation that tells the story of Reggae Sound System culture, part of Vision RCL and Circulate London’s free programme of Outdoor Arts. Head to Bell Square in Hounslow tomorrow to see Bollywood Brass Band, the UK’s pioneering Indian-style brass band, playing the great tunes and compulsively danceable rhythms of Bollywood.
It’s the final weekend of Journeys Festival International, taking place in Leicester, Manchester and Portsmouth. The festival curates, presents and commissions a varied programme of work created by artists exploring the refugee experience and global cultures through artistic and creative encounters. This year’s programme includes an inspiring and powerful mix of visual and digital art exhibitions, virtual reality installations, performances, food gatherings, films and animations created by artists from around the globe.
The amazing Wondrous Woods returns to the majestic grounds of Hopetoun House until 14 Nov. For the second year running the grounds are going to be extensively lit up to create a magical, mystical woodland journey, so grab your coats and scarves and take all the family along. Visit Great Yarmouth this weekend and experience Fire on the Water, an immersive experience with dramatic outdoor arts, hypnotic water projections and shining installations, from the producers of Out There Festival and Great Yarmouth Borough Council. Enjoy an exciting Halloween experience from Slow Theatre Company this weekend at Dalegate Market, Norfolk. Deepdale Haunted: The Wild Ride is a promenade performance using storytelling, music, and movement to tell stories of the myths and ghosts of Norfolk.
Beyond the Fringe festival heads to Liverpool for a three day street theatre event this weekend, across locations such as Williamson Square, Clayton Square and surrounding city streets and spaces. Acts confirmed so far include Men in Coats, a brilliant double act combining the arts of comedy, clowning and illusion, Jim & Alex, a unique juggling duo, and Kwabana Lindsay, a slack rope walker performing acrobatics at dizzying heights.
Climb out of the Zoomiverse and back in to the real world with Hastings Storytelling Festival this weekend, with immersive, creative, thought-provoking storytelling for all ages. Tomorrow take part in Goddess & Heroines, with Xanthe Gresham: Goddesses and Heroines Storytelling for Families, Emily Hennessey and Sheema Mukherjee: Kali, The Red Rebel Brigade and Juliette Russel: The Pledge, The Venus Bushfires with Helen Epega, and Livia Gaudencio/Violeta Luna: Urucum – Oracle of Demarcated Bodies.
The creators of the award-winning Lightopia Festival present Dino Kingdom: an epic prehistoric exploration landing in Nottinghamshire until 31 Oct. Step back in time at Thoresby Park and explore roaring and moving Dinosaurs and state-of-the-art 3D and AR technology, and immerse yourself in interactive activities.
