Deloitte Ignite 2012Festival dates: Friday 31 August - Sunday 2 September 2012 |
Deloitte Ignite, the multi award-winning festival returned to Covent Garden from 31 August to 2 September for a celebration of traditional African and avant-garde arts and culture. Over the weekend, nearly 11,000 attendees arrived at the Royal Opera House to experience Deloitte Ignite. Festival-goers were encouraged to try out Angolan artist Victor Gama’s beautiful installation of African inspired instruments, Instrumentos, in the Paul Hamlyn Hall or hang on until the evening to hear him play them. IRIE! Dance theatre were present throughout the building, leading people through African rhythms in dance, drumming and storytelling workshops. Some relaxation time was provided by al fresco African cinema on the Piazza in films curated by Yinka Shonibare and founding member of the Black Audio Film Collective, John Akomfrah.
Zimbabwean Tavaziva Dance performed Sensual Africa to the delight of crowds, while elsewhere in the Opera House artists of The Royal Ballet got moving with the public under the direction of IRIE! Dance theatre and Vocab Dance Company founder Alesandra Seutin. Curator Yinka Shonibare’s private collection of Rotimi Fani-Kayode’s photography as well as some of his own works were displayed around the building, which, with his offering of delicious Nigerian food, made Deloitte Ignite Africa Weekend a real feast for all the senses.
"I attended Deloitte Ignite on Friday night and was lucky to see Tony Allen, the Afrobeat legend jam with Damon Albarn. The performance was electric and the musicians were clearly having as much fun on stage as we were in our seats! I felt privileged to see such a rare performance and proud that Deloitte was involved in an event that supported talented and innovative artists." - Deloitte Ignite visitor
