I look back on 2008 somewhat stunned to have managed to add the words ‘Closing Ceremony’ and ‘Olympic Games’ to my CV. Stunned, thrilled and thoroughly proud.
It’s difficult to explain without sounding dramatically over the top, how exciting being in the Birdsnest stadium on August 24th really was. It was the culmination of months and months of hard work from a team that peaked at almost 200 dedicated and talented people. And what a team – probably the most harmonious, and hard working I have ever encountered, all united by the vision and opportunity to deliver two brilliant shows.
Standing in Tunnel 4 with Martin Green, Head of Ceremonies, watching the animated film I produced play out on the screens, and subsequently across the world, was truly nerve shattering. Then to watch the bus and the cast perform to the ‘oohs’, ‘aaahs’ and cheers of the stadium crowd, knowing that millions were gathered up and down the country back home, watching simultaneously, is a memory I shall always treasure.
We faced our challenges, from vehicle passes to millions of falling petals, but we rose to each challenge and ensured that each show with good humour and a steely resilience.
It was never our intention to try and out-shine the Chinese shows. The shows were their ceremonies and we remained respectful to that. However, our mission, which I believe we achieved, was to mark out the tone and attitude of London 2012 as being like nothing you’ve seen before.
There are many stories to tell, and many future dinner parties to share them with, but the primary tale is simply one of extreme pride in what was achieved by everyone involved - from the worlds most famous footballer ( who infuriatingly can get off a 10 hour flight and still look amazing for a photo shoot) to the brilliant students from London College of Fashion, Rose Bruford and the University of Kent who dedicated their summer to the opportunity of a lifetime playing integral parts within the production team of international talent and experience.
So now we face the next step in our journey towards the ceremonies of London 2012. With the bus now parked up, we‘re starting again with a blank sheet of paper to create the next moment when the world turns to look directly at us and what we have to offer. I managed to visit the site of our own stadium last week, and felt a new surge of pride and excitement. It is already, and will be an incredible theatre for the ceremonies of 2012, and the sport that will follow. The journey on home turf is now very much alive.
That the journey begins right now as we start to map the ambitions we have for the ceremonies of 2012. What is it that we want to say to the world as we open the Olympic Games on 27th July 2012? At this stage, this isn’t about what’s in the ceremonies, we are focusing a step earlier than the actual content. We have time to think about what ceremonies mean, who they are for and what they should say. We will be challenging the traditional and the expected and exploring opportunities to be equally as magnificent, but confidently different. Spectacularly creative and imaginatively resourceful.
Give it a few minutes yourself, and think about what you would want to say to the world, in the greatest show on earth and maybe you could join us for the ride of a lifetime.
My Olympics
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