London’s vibrant new cultural destination announces a series of Totally Thames spectacles
Published on
August 21, 2014
Nine Elms on the South Bank, London’s vibrant new cultural destination, is delighted to be hosting an incredible series of Totally Thames commissions.
The programme includes: an extraordinary new sculpture by Florentijn Hofman to grace the River Thames at Riverside Gardens, Vauxhall; a spectacular fire and light display from Carabosse at Battersea Power Station as well as an exhibition, talks, walks, workshops and performances throughout the Nine Elms area. Events will be taking place throughout September.
The events, commissioned by Thames Festival Trust with support from many of the partners investing in the local area, signify another big step forward in the regeneration taking place across Nine Elms on the South Bank. The area is transforming, with culture and creativity at its heart. Thames Festival Trust and Nine Elms on the South Bank share in common a desire to celebrate the river.
Situated on the south bank of the River Thames between Lambeth and Chelsea Bridges, an integral part of the transformation of Nine Elms on the South Bank will see large sections of the river path opened up to the public, many for the first time.
This year’s Totally Thames programme includes:
• 2 – 29 September: Florentijn Hofman Commission. The first ever UK commission by internationally renowned Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman for Totally Thames will be situated in the River Thames at Nine Elms on the South Bank.
Hofman is known for scaled-up sculptures, such as Rubber Duck which travelled to several major cities between 2007 and 2013, from Auckland and São Paulo to Hong Kong. Hofman’s sculptures often originate from everyday objects, but the design of Hofman’s UK commission has been inspired by the fascinating prehistory of the River Thames. Stepped access to the foreshore will be available for three hours a day at low tide. See www.totallythames.org for details. Riverside Gardens, Nine Elms Lane, Vauxhall SW8 2DU (at the base of The Tower – One St George’s Wharf). FREE
• 2 September, 5-7pm: Celebratory event to welcome our newest resident, the Florentijn Hofman commission. Free family fun with plenty of activities, refreshments and Poet in Residence, Simon Mole, to entertain. Sponsored by the Dutch Embassy. Riverside Gardens, Nine Elms Lane, Vauxhall SW8 2DU. FREE
• 4 September – 12 October: Pump House Gallery presents You cannot step twice into the same river, an exhibition of international artists working in video and photography. Includes work by artists Ellie Ga and Alia Syed, displayed in London for the first time. A preview and performance event will take place on 3 September, 6.30-8.30pm. Pump House Gallery, Battersea Park, SW11 4NJ. All welcome. FREE
• 5 & 6 September, 6.30pm – 10.30pm: Battersea Power Station hosts Fire Garden by Carabosse, a spectacular fire garden created by internationally renowned French artists, Carabosse, who use improvised live music, steam and fire-powered kinetic sculptures together with a maze of fire and flame installations to create highly evocative environments. Fire Garden by Carabosse will be a free but ticketed event – tickets will be available by public ballot. Register at www.totallythames.org before 27 August. Battersea Power Station: enter from the Riverside Walkway on the south side of Chelsea Bridge. Postcode for smart-phone maps: SW8 4PE. FREE
• 7 September, 11am-12.45pm: Vauxhall to Battersea Riverfront walk. Take a guided tour along Nine Elms on the South Bank’s riverfront from Vauxhall to Battersea with Colin del Strother. Tickets £7 +booking fee. Register at www.totallythames.org
• 9 September, 7.30pm: Drawing inspiration from Florentijn Hofman’s secret pre-historic Thames commission, poet and arts producer Tom Chivers, Natural History Museum Palaeontologist Victoria Herridge and guerrilla geographer Daniel Raven-Ellison explore the geological wilds of London, past present and future from The Doodle Bar, SW11 4NP. Tickets for ‘Thames Natural History, in whose footsteps do you tread and who might tread in yours in years to come’ are priced from £5. Register at www.totallythames.org
• 14 September, 2.15-4.15pm: The popular theatrical performance walk returns, “White Rabbit Walks: From Pleasure Gardens to Power House”. This unique walk with storytelling company White Rabbit leads participants from the Tea House Theatre, Vauxhall through Nine Elms, via New Covent Garden Flower Market and passed Florentijn Hofman’s new sculpture in the River Thames; ending at Battersea Power Station. Tickets are £3 including booking fee and tea. Register at www.whiterabbit.ticketsource.co.uk
A community engagement project is also underway in local boroughs, Wandsworth and Lambeth. Spread the Word has been commissioned to work with community groups to undertake creative writing inspired by the Florentijn Hofman public art piece. Poet in Residence, Simon Mole, will accompany the groups down to the foreshore and help them write bespoke performance pieces to be shared at a community event in October.
Councillor Ravi Govindia, co-chair of the Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership and leader of Wandsworth Council, said:
“At Nine Elms on the South Bank we are reopening entire sections of the Thames riverpath which have been shut off to the public for decades, literally extending the South Bank down to Chelsea Bridge and beyond. Playing a significant part in this year’s Totally Thames is a great way to celebrate this revival with local residents, and also to welcome other visitors to this part of the city.”
Helen Fisher, Programme Director at Nine Elms on South Bank, said:
“We are committed to delivering a wide-reaching cultural programme across Nine Elms on the South Bank, from small pop-ups to great spectacles. We are very proud of what has been achieved so far, through great partnership working, and look forward to unveiling our extraordinary new sculpture on 2 September as the kick-off to a fantastic month of events.”
For more information on any of the events taking place across Nine Elms on the South Bank, visit www.nineelmslondon.com/totallythames.