October-round up: from parkour to poetry

Ellie Beedham, Director of Arts shares this month’s Team London Bridge partnering with Dance Umbrella festival, Apples and Snakes, Fiyahouse and the Eco Pop-Up film festival to deliver exciting cultural happenings in the area.

Earlier this month, The Prodigal UPG team captivated crowds with their gravity-defying performance of 'Zoo Humans'; a parkour sequence inspired by the shocking statistic that three-quarters of young people in the UK spend less time outdoors than prisoners. Team London Bridge presented two free, outdoor performances in Guy’s Courtyard, in partnership with King's College London, kicking off Dance Umbrella; London’s international dance festival, celebrating 21st-century choreography across the capital.

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On National Poetry, we celebrated with Apples and Snakes, hosting a poetry takeover in London Bridge Station. Eight poets entertained commuters with their incredible performances, whilst famous poems featured across Network Rail’s digital screens. Check out our instagram Stories for highlights from the day. We also collaborated with Apples and Snakes on The Writing Room project; a 6 week course training performance poets at the London Bridge Hive. When the course is complete, we will create local performance opportunities and continue to nurture the poets’ professional development.

The Pop-Up Eco Film Festival debuts tomorrow; a first for the area. The sold-out festival features eco-theme screenings popping up in venues around the area, including The Old Operating Theatre, Guy’s Chapel and Kino Bermondsey. Each screening will feature a talk from a local organisation, highlighting sustainability issues and encouraging festival-goers to support green initiatives in the area. Thanks to: Bermondsey Street Bees, TideWay, Thames 21 and The Zoological Society of London.

Finally, we are excited to welcome back Fiyaworks to Ugly Duck. The dance crew host their 3 day hip-hop academy for young people starting today.

- Ellie Beedham - Director of Arts - ellie@teamlondonbridge.co.uk