Greenwich and Docklands International Festival 2020 to go ahead this summer with reimagined plans

The Greenwich and Docklands International Festival, one of London’s biggest outdoor arts festivals, is set to go ahead this summer with reimagined plans to make it safe for audiences.

The festival, now in its 25th year, will feature durational art installations and a number of outdoor theatre and dance performances with social distancing. Audiences are encouraged to walk or cycle to events, and larger outdoor theatre shows will be performed in isolated locations with reduced capacity.

Opening at the end of August, the festival hopes to promote togetherness in the local community after the isolation of lockdown. A detailed programme is yet to be announced, but the first weekend will feature creations from a community engagement project called Weaving Together, where vulnerable local residents have been sent materials for a weaving workshop. These will be used for installations and performances across the festival.

Other highlights will be installations celebrating the NHS, togetherness and the environment. These will be durational to ensure staggered visiting times for audiences with full social distancing in place.

Another initiative is called On Your Doorstep, which will bring family-friendly circus and street theatre to Greenwich, Woolwich, Thamesmead, North Woolwich, and Eltham.

Bradley Hemmings, who is artistic director of the festival, said that outdoor arts “can potentially offer audiences a bridge to a new and safe-distanced world of live performance.”

“In reimagining our plans, our primary concern has of course been the welfare of artists and audiences. Thanks to the resourcefulness of artists, staff and partners we are proceeding optimistically towards the 25th anniversary edition of the Festival, which whilst it will be very different to previous years, will retain at its heart the spirit of togetherness and transformation, for which GDIF has always been renowned,” he said.