© Vincent Muteau
The French are coming to London, and they’re about to set the Royal Docks on fire. That’s because French fire alchemists, Compagnie Carabosse, are coming to the Royal Docks tonight and tomorrow to bring their dazzling Rekindling show to our fair city.
The evocative fire installation will set the area alight with a dazzling display. It will also make use of sounds, music, and stories from the docks and surrounding areas to reflect on the past, present, and future of the Royal Docks.
Rekindling at the Royal Docks
Rekindling will take place outside the Royal Docks City Hall on September 25 and 26 – that’s tonight and tomorrow! Kicking off at 7pm, the show will suffuse the area with a dazzling, fiery display. Oh, and did we mention that it’s FREE to attend?!
Exploring the Royal Docks’ history, the show digs into its role as the largest enclosed docks in the world during the Industrial Revolution. It then looks out to its current position in London as a “re-emerging hub for culture, creative industries, and enterprise.”
My Tiger Janu by Chila Burman. Photo: Jeff Moore
The show comprises part of the Royal Docks Originals’ new biennial festival, which launched this year. Running until October 4, the festival encompasses three weeks and offers a free programme of over 50 events and attractions. These range from street performances to LED artworks, large-scale murals, live music, poetry, and more.
The group behind the fire
Compagnie Carabosse are already widely known around the world for their fiery installations. These range from Fire Gardens to the ‘Alphabet of Fire‘. The street art group’s other works and experiments include community-based research events and artistic endeavours that merge storytelling with a back-to-basics approach to creativity.
This is the collective’s first visit to London since 2016, when they brought the ‘London’s Burning’ event to life to mark 350 years since the Great Fire of London. Clearly, they had a burning desire to return!
© Sylvie Monier
Find out more about Rekindling here. And find out more about the Royal Docks Originals programme here.
📍 Rekindling will take place Outside City Hall, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1ZE. The nearest stations are Custom House and Canning Town.