RISE

On Saturday 18 January, thousands of people gathered on Olympic Way in Wembley Park to celebrate the launch of Brent’s year as London Borough of Culture 2020 at RISE – a spectacular, free outdoor show hosted by Principal Partner, Wembley Park.

With the backdrop of the world-famous Wembley Stadium, the stunning mass-participatory performance told the story of the borough’s journey from the margins to impact culture in Britain through its music, activism, and rebellious spirit. Choreographed by Southpaw Dance Company and performed by a community cast of hundreds, people of all ages, backgrounds and origins, the stunning show featured music, spoken word and dance against a backdrop of projections on a custom-built five-storey stage. With an explosive live performance from Brent-born General Levy to wrap up the night, the show was truly a proud celebration of all things Brent.

RISE was just the beginning. Brent is more than just a borough of culture: This is the Borough of Cultures.

Thanks to Robby Graham, the creative team, Southpaw Dance Company performers and dance leads, featured performance groups, spoken word artists, General Levy, Trojan Records, production team and stage managers, community cast, volunteers and principle partner Wembley Park. The Community Advisors, Blueprint Collective, Cultural Leads, the Mayor of London, Justine Simons, Carolyn Downs, Councillor Butt, the Mayor of Brent, Peter & Paul, BadMadam, The Unloved, Brent 2020 team, all attendees and the community who came out in the cold in their thousands. Our Funders: Brent Council, Mayor of London’s Culture Team, City of London, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Arts Council England , Berkeley Group, Infosys, Network Homes, Air Bnb, Wates Group and Quintain Ltd.