Land of Giants

30 June 2012 | Titanic Slipways, Titanic Quarter, Belfast

Land of Giants will be the biggest outdoor arts event Northern Ireland has ever seen. Staged on the iconic Titanic slipway, a cast and crew of over 500 will present astounding acrobatics, aerial dance, carnivals, circus, music, multi-media shows and pyrotechnics.

The title Land of Giants takes its inspiration from the giants dotting Northern Ireland’s myths and culture; from Jonathan Swift’s ‘Gulliver’ to the warrior Finn McCool who, legend has it, is responsible for the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim. The Giant imagery continues in Harland and Wolff’s Samson and Goliath yellow cranes and, of course, RMS Titanic and her sister ship, RMS Olympic.

In partnership with Young at Art, Belfast Community Circus and The Beat Initiative Carnival Arts Centre, Land of Giants also symbolises Northern Ireland’s growing reputation as a giant in talent and heritage. This event is one of only four UK community celebrations taking place during the Olympic 2012 festivities.

On the evening of 30 June, after a series of day-time ‘prelude’ pieces, the main event will begin right in the heart of the Titanic quarter. All of the ‘Giants’ and Northern Ireland talent will combine for a ‘Giant party’, which will also demonstrate Olympic values. The unique and extraordinary tale will be presented to an audience of a whopping 20,000 people.

Directed by Mark Murphy, this ambitious one-off show will put Northern Ireland, quite rightly, on an international stage. Murphy (who’s also a writer, filmmaker and outdoor events specialist) won Best Show and Best Production at the Melbourne Cultural Festival in Australia for his most recent production, On the Case.

The event is also injecting a massive boost to arts employment and funding in Northern Ireland through the Arts Council. It will give local professionals and volunteers of all ages a wonderful opportunity to channel their creativity into areas such as design, production, lighting, sound and special effects. The whole event has been created from skills training, school projects and international links through the diverse Olympic community and allows people to get involved both formally and informally. The strong cultural influence from the Olympic festivities will only add to the wonder and assortment of artistic styles.

Land of Giants is destined to showcase all the local creative and artistic talent that Northern Ireland has to offer. Details of the event are being kept under wraps at the moment – all that’s known is an extravagant production is in store.