Rugby World Cup gets off to a creative scrum in Exeter

In conjunction with the start of Rugby World Cup 2015 and to celebrate Exeter’s host city status, work has started on themed creative activity across Exeter.

The month Includes workshops in schools, the creation of a Street Band, a Creative Hub at Emmanuel Hall and a spectacular parade through Exeter City Centre to the Northernhay Gardens FanZone.

The Exeter Rugby Five Nations Parade is a spectacular parade project involving more than 200 children and young people from Exeter and led by Manchester based Walk the Plank, internationally renowned outdoor arts experts who will create a vibrant costumed parade with large makes and the creation of a Street Band working across Exeter schools, colleges and the University. The parade is themed on the cultural traditions of the 5 nations visiting Exeter for the Rugby World Cup; Italy, Tonga, Namibia, Georgia and Romania.

School Workshops
Free costume and banner making workshops with schools across Exeter commenced last week. Schools include Alphington Primary, ISCA Academy, Willowbrook Primary School, Clyst Heath Primary, Pinhoe Primary and St Nicholas Catholic Primary school. These workshops will employ teams of artists, each team made up of a nationally renowned lead artist working with a local artist and a team of student interns from the University of Exeter's Applied Drama and PGCE Teacher Training Course. Lead artists confirmed for the project are Jeannie Fletcher,Tsubi Du, Dee Moxon, Tony Minnion, Tony Mason and Pete Gunson from Pif-Paf. Local artists include Ruth Webb, Catherine Albericci, Carla Hayes, James Lake, Ed Savory, Lizzie Johnson and Zenna Tagney.

Street Band
A celebratory street band, will be created and led by renowned composer and musician Tim Hill, the band will be formed following a series of free workshops that have been held throughout September. The band will mix up funk, folk, jazz and many other sorts of music and will be for all ages. All the visiting nations have street band or marching band traditions. Examples of these include the Fanfare Ciocarlia from Romania, our own brass and silver band traditions and modern New Orleans bands.

Join us and be part of the band!
Band members need to be Grade 5 or above.
For more information on how to become part of the street band please contact Tim Hill
on milton3hill@yahoo.co.uk

Creation Hub
Walk the Plank have also opened a Creative Making Hub in Theatre Alibi's Emmanuel Hall Rehearsal Studios, a dedicated making space to create the large parade makes and add the finishing touches to the costumes and banners.

Rugby World Cup Parade
The Parade will assemble on Cathedral Green on Saturday October the 10th before
leaving at 13.15pm to process along the High Street to the Fanzone in Northernhay
Gardens.

A choreographed finale will take place in the Fanzone before the start of the Samoa v
Scotland match at 14.30. Please come and join in and show the world that Exeter
knows how to celebrate!

Walk the Plank will return to Exeter on Saturday October 31 to provide a musical and
explosive Fanzone Finale!

For more information please contact festivals@exeter.gov.uk

Exeter Five Nations Parade and Fanzone Finale are supported by E2015, National
Lottery through Arts Council England and Unexpected - Exeter City Council's festival of
outdoor performance and visual arts.