Olympic Torch Celebration

Evie Godfrey

2012

Olympic Torch Celebration

In 2012, Temple Newsam hosted a celebration when the Olympic torch came through Leeds on its tour of the country prior to the London 2012 Olympics. Space2 was commissioned by Leeds City Council to lead the Leeds’s community performances as part of one of only four large scale Olympic Torch celebrations held nationally and sponsored by Coca-Cola. Space2 recruited a 240 strong community choir and 50 of Leeds best young dancers and young poets from Leeds Young Authors who performed alongside poet in residence Michelle Scally Clarke. Further development of citywide engagement model to organise a series of workshops and recruit 2012 volunteer dancers of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to participate in mass dance moment to celebrate the inclusive, participatory values of the Olympic Games, at the Torch lighting ceremony at Temple Newsam with audiences of 17,500.

Photographs by Lizzie Coombes