World Leading British Directors and Producers Appointed to London 2012 Ceremonies Team

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) announced today that four leading UK creatives will form a team of Executive Producers who will oversee the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The team will be:

·Stephen Daldry, Oscar winning film and theatre director as Executive Producer, Creative

·Mark Fisher, concert, theatre and Beijing 2008 Games designer as Executive Producer, Design

·Hamish Hamilton, Grammy and BAFTA award nominated TV director as Executive Producer, Broadcast

·Catherine Ugwu, Producer for the 15th Asian Games in Doha in 2006, the XVII Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 as Executive Producer, Production

Danny Boyle, Oscar winning British filmmaker and producer, will be the Artistic Director for the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. An Artistic Director for the Olympic Closing Ceremony and one for the Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be appointed later this year. Images of the team are available to download here.

Sebastian Coe, LOCOG Chair, said: ‘These Games are bringing together world-class British talent. Each one of these individuals would hold their own on the worldwide stage and they are joining names like children’s author Michael Morpurgo who has created the story behind our highly successful mascots. We are delighted with the team we have brought together to deliver our ceremonies in 2012.’

Danny Boyle said: ‘I’m honoured to have been invited to be the Artistic Director for the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. It’s a completely unique opportunity to contribute to what I’m sure are going to be a fantastic Games, I’m really excited to be involved.’

Stephen Daldry said: ‘Myself and my co-executive producers will ensure there is creative continuity across all four ceremonies, that the public have real engagement and that we continue to attract into key roles the best talent in the world. I’m delighted to be part of the team.’

Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, said: ‘The opening and closing ceremonies are the jewels in the crown of any Olympics and Paralympics and are one of the benchmarks against which all Games are judged.

‘I am very pleased that British directors and producers of such outstanding international calibre and acclaim have given their backing to London 2012. With their creativity and expertises on board, I’m sure that London’s showpiece events will make Britain proud.’

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: ‘This is a brilliant team bringing together some of the most imaginative people in the world. The work they have produced over the years has been quite extraordinary, with an impact not just in the UK, but also on the international stage.

They exemplify some of the greatest attributes we have - creativity, vision, and intelligence - which will be critical to ensuring shows that are as stunning as they are uniquely British.’

3 Mills Studios, East London’s centre for the creative industries and in the shadow of the Olympic Stadium itself, will be the production centre for the London 2012 Ceremonies Team, and a base from where the Victory Ceremonies and Torch Relays will be produced. The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) will take over ownership of the Studios from the London Development Agency (LDA), and the two organisations have worked together on this deal which will see LOCOG’s staff from the Culture, Ceremonies, Education and Live Sites Team moving into offices at 3 Mills Studios in October 2010, increasing to around 450 full time staff plus hundreds of contractors and production volunteers in 2011.

The OPLC will assume the obligations of the LDA under the Studio Use Agreement. Normal film, TV and rehearsal activity will continue at 3 Mills Studios at the same time as the Ceremonies team develop and rehearse the London 2012 Ceremonies in part of the 20 acre, 14 stage complex.

Andrew Altman, Chief Executive of the Olympic Park Legacy Company said: "3 Mills Studios is among the hotbed of talent and emerging artists that surround the Olympic Park. The rich cultural heritage of the Studios, combined with its renowned production facilities, make it a natural fit for the creative powerhouse that is the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies team.

‘Boosting London’s creative and media industries is a significant part of our vision for the Olympic Park. What could be a stronger signal of our commitment than the creation of hundreds of jobs at 3 Mills to produce a series of spectacular shows that will be watched by a world-wide audience of more than a billion.’

From the 1980’s the Studios in Bow East London, has been used as a film, television and West End production site. Notables who have made films here include Wes Anderson, Tim Burton, Mike Leigh, Michael Winterbottom and Danny Boyle. West End Theatre has included the rehearsals for Billy Elliot the Musical and Oliver! The Musical.

There is evidence to suggest the original Mills here were listed in the Doomsday Book and date back to the 11th century. Over time the mills have produced flour, gun powder and until the Second World War was used primarily for the production of Gin.

LOCOG has joined forces with FiveCurrents and Unspun in association with Arcadis via their consortium entitled Flow Productions Limited, to create a standalone production company called London 2012 Ceremonies Ltd. This company will produce the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The appointment of FiveCurrents and Unspun and Arcadisfollows an exhaustive procurement process to find a delivery partner able to provide production services for these extraordinary and complex events. Working alongside the LOCOG appointed Executive Producers and Artistic Directors to realise four innovative and visionary World Class Ceremonies, Flow productions will establish the company and oversee its financial, administrative and procurement processes.

For more information contact: www.london2012.com

As a service to our readers, Around the Rings will provide verbatim texts of selected press releases issued by Olympic-related organizations, federations, businesses and sponsors.

These press releases appear as sent to Around the Rings and are not edited for spelling, grammar or punctuation.

Your complete source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only