Solar Associates

Solar Associates say: Whoah! (which we mean as a combination of "Wow!" and "whew!" - do bear with us, we're pretty bushwhacked....) At last we can come clean about one of the big projects we've been keeping under wraps this year. Since the spring, when we were asked - and eagerly agreed - to produce the artistic programme for Lift at the Shoreditch Festival 2008,  we've been supporting Shoreditch Futures, a mysterious 'adventure agency' as they developed the climactic commission for the final day of the 9-day programme.

And what a ball was had by all, on Hackney Handover Day - when the Olympic torch passed from Beijing to London. The footage above shows a fragment of BigBallBingo, a 'future Olympic sport for young and old', that the SF team, embedded in Shoreditch's sports halls and bingo groups over several weeks, developed in collaboration with local people. The sun came out exactly on time, the games designs met with popular roars of approval all afternoon, and apparently the players - who took to the field in all shapes and sizes - averted a catastrophe in Shoreditch's future by generating the right numbers in The Lift's bingo hall. Or something.

What made us, and many other people, most happy was the genuine inclusiveness of the thing, with local people mixing with one-day Festival visitors, and young and old having fun side by side, and getting to know each other. That's the kind of social dynamic it can take years of struggle to achieve in participatory art projects, and Shoreditch Futures managed it, apparently, in the wink of an eye. Are vast inflatable spheres the social adhesive we're lacking in our urban spaces? Seriously though, our heartfelt thanks to them - and to Lift, its staff and venue crew and volunteers - for their inspiration, hard work and attention to detail.  One participant summed it up with:

"What a wonderful, exhausting, difficult and rewarding thing that was. I never thought I'd hear Hackney's children screaming for small acts of kindness that would save us all. Rave on!"

We have a set of images from the Shoreditch Ball Park in our picture galleries area if you'd like to see more. Soon, we'll have details of our work producing the massively popular programme for Lift at Shoreditch 2008 - which, besides the Ball Park, included some cracking comedy, wireless headset partying in the Silent Disco style, live music and a lot more.....do check back and have a look!