The Royal Ballet’s Deloitte Ignite Festival 2014 - Free activities in Covent Garden

The Royal Ballet’s Deloitte Ignite festival 2014 kicks off with a weekend of free events in Covent Garden, writes  Ruth Mattock.

Curated by the National Gallery’s Minna Moore Ede and featuring Bill Viola, Chris Ofili and some of the biggest creative names at the Royal Opera House, this year’s Deloitte Ignite will be a triumph of cross-bred art forms. Running throughout September, it opens this weekend with a packed programme of talks, films and performance.

The evening programme Sampling Myth might be sold out, but the event will be live-streamed in the Paul Hamlyn Hall to all those with a free ticket to the weekend’s events, and online on the ROH website. A highlight is sure to be a new short work by classical Indian choreographer Aakash Odedra, in which Turner Prize winning artist Chris Ofili will paint directly onto the bodies of the dancers. Given Ofili’s penchant for elephant dung, this mould-breaking collaboration will dig deep into the earthy roots of the Prometheus creation myth.

Myths and legends

The festival unpacks the myths of fire-stealing Prometheus and the strange seduction story of Leda and the Swan. The swan, ballet’s white archetype, will be the subject of a discussion by Royal Ballet director Kevin O’Hare and a panel of past and current dancers, as well as short films by acclaimed choreographer Kim Brandstrup and other rising stars. Actors Helen McCrory and Damian Lewis have also filmed recitals of the myths. Wayne McGregor will be talking about turning dance into film, and on no account should you miss Calvin Richardson’s interpretation of the dying swan, performed once on each day.

Installations and performances

Legends of the art world will also join in the myth-making. The fire element of the Bill Viola  Martyrs installation (previously in St. Paul’s Cathedral) will be on display, as well as photography by Tom Hunter and contributions from the epic street mural-maker Phlegm. In true Covent Garden spirit, Luca Silvestrini’s provocative and award-winning dance company Protein will ‘window dress’ the shop fronts of the piazza with their performances. All this on top of group yoga in the Hamlyn Hall, story-telling for kids and live rehearsals. Reserve your free ticket while they last.

The programme of free events runs from the 5th to the 7th September. Tickets are free, but must be reserved here.

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