Great Fire of London 350th anniversary

A recreation of the Great Fire of London will set the Thames ablaze on 4th September in a spectacular culmination of a series of events to commemorate 350 years since the blaze that ripped through the City of London, destroying homes, businesses and iconic structures such as St Pauls. The installation, London 1666, is part of London’s Burning, a festival of arts and ideas produced by Artichoke.
LONDON 1666 will see an extraordinary 120 metre long sculpture of Restoration London floated on the River Thames and set alight in a dramatic retelling of the story of the Great Fire. The vast representation of the 17th century London skyline has been designed by American artist David Best, working in collaboration with Artichoke, the creative events company that have previously staged large-scale arts events such as Lumiere London.

The multi-camera show will be broadcast live online at www.visitlondon.com/greatfire350 when the remarkable sculpture will be set on fire to commemorate the 350th year since the Great Fire. The show will be directed by Tim van Someren who created the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony. The programme will be presented by Lauren Laverne, and produced by Artichoke, as the historic moment is recreated on the Thames and streamed online. The Space, which empowers artists and organisations through digital media, are funding the live stream and pre event content for London 1666.

The project has involved months of work with young people across several inner city boroughs: Camden, Hackney, Islington, Newham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets. Hundreds of schoolchildren have taken part in integrated drawing and history workshops in schools across these boroughs, and designed decorative panels to be included in the final piece.

LONDON 1666 also offers young Londoners not in education, employment or training, a potentially life-changing opportunity to take part in the construction of the piece, and to experience a unique and collaborative working environment.

Through workshops, placements and volunteering, young people aged between 16-24 years old from Camden, Hackney, Islington, Southwark and Tower Hamlets, will receive an introduction to the construction and creative industries, and the opportunity to gain a CSCS certificate and further employment qualifications, leaving a legacy of skills and partnerships and providing inspiration to help transform their lives.