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Do you know what is a Pleasure Garden?

Between the 17th and 19th Centuries, Pleasure Gardens were communal spaces where people from all walks of life converged to listen to music, admire paintings, stroll, drink, flirt and immerse themselves in the culture that made their city great.

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The most famous pleasure gardens were in Vauxhall, Mozart played there at 9, Hogarth made the tickets and Dickens wrote about them. Between 1851 and 1884 the Royal Docks had its very own Pleasure Gardens, named The Royal Victoria Gardens.

Today’s London is changing at the speed of light. The 2012 Olympics are revealing a new London. Different new areas are explored in terms of Urbanism and we discover a true 21st century London.

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The London Pleasure Gardens is a company winner of the Mayor of London, LDA and Newham Council Meanwhile London Competition
Their pitch: to bring a 21st Century version of London historic Pleasure Gardens back to The Royal Victoria Docks won the approval of a panel of judges working to deliver London Mayor Boris Johnson and Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales vision to develop East London.

On Saturday 30th June 2012, the Paradise Gardens Festival opens with Free entrance. The main topics are:

  • SILO D, a spectacular fire and pyrotechnics show based around a breathtaking listed building and arranged by pioneering pyrotechnics/design collective
  • THE WORLD FAMOUS. The event will commemorate and relive the colossal Silvertown munitions factory explosion and will be placed against the backdrop of Silo D itself, a listed historic building.
  • Music Hall/Artificial Hip Hop legend IDA BARR will be coming fresh from her Radio 4 series and in advance of her forthcoming National Theatre shows to coax the gathered masses into attempting the WORLD’S LARGEST HOKEY COKEY, a GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT.
  • The site 6000 CAPACITY BIG TOP will feature live music from acts including The Guardian best live band in the country
  • ALABAMA 3, multimillion selling Reggae legends MUSICAL YOUTH, international dancefloor sensations SKA CUBANO, maverick brass band HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE, and electro-dub innovators, DREADZONE.
  • THE DOME, a spectacular multi-arts venue with LED-sequenced skin designed by Future Tents, will feature club sets from live dubstep life-affirmers, JAZZSTEPPA, and mashed up DJ/Vaudeville combo DUTTY MOONSHINE.
  • Cultural delights include the chance to enjoy unbridled glory in a variety of madcap events at THE SILLYMPIC GAMES, surrealist street theatre madness from ALICE AND ALICE, a cross-festival interactive performance from BiDiNG TiME, site specific street dance extravaganza, TAXI!, apocalyptic urban performance, ATTACK!, and haunting physical theatre masterpiece, THE SPURTING MAN (by AVANTI DISPLAY).

Here an interesting video, in which we can see the “heads” behind the scenes.

Paradise Gardens Grand Opening
Dates: Sat 30 June – Sun 1 July
Opening times: 1PM-11PM Saturday 30th June, 1PM-10PM Sunday 1st July
Free entry – turn up to site main entrance.

So, this summer, London is definitely the place to be.
LA

 

Info sourced at Brand official press release. All images are strictly copyrighted with no reproduction rights available.