Taking place in the grounds of one of London’s most iconic buildings, East Wall will see a cast of over 150 dancers and musicians fill the Tower of London’s West Moat in an extraordinary outdoor performance inspired by the stories of the communities that have grown up around the Tower.

A unique partnership between East London Dance, Hofesh Shechter Company, Historic Royal Palaces and LIFT has announced East Wall, a long-term talent development project which will culminate in a celebration of community and artistic excellence through an unforgettable experience of dance and live music at the Tower of London as part of LIFT 2018.

Directed by the internationally-celebrated Hofesh Shechter working in collaboration with young London-based choreographers, Becky Namgauds, Duwane Taylor, James Finnemore and Joseph Toonga, this epic event will weave together a tapestry of music and dance that embraces east London’s diversity and puts its rich cultural heritage centre stage. From grime to gospel, krump to contemporary – this mashup of old and new will come together in a large-scale spectacle like no other.


East Wall is the culmination of a four-year talent development programme led by Hofesh Shechter Company and East London Dance, working with young choreographers, dancers and community groups. East Wall will be the first major public art event in the Tower of London moat since the Poppies installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red in 2014. This performance follows on from the project’s scratch show East Wall Warm-Up, which marked the closing night of LIFT 2016.

He will develop their skills and celebrate their different artistic styles in the production and draw on the unique heritage of Tower Hamlets and the Tower of London.

Alongside nurturing emerging talent, the partners have been working in the boroughs of East London to find a large community cast of young, talented individuals. Dancers and musicians will be selected to perform in East Wall, shining a spotlight on East London’s creative energy and cultural identity. A living, moving and monumental embodiment of the area’s spirit through live performance, East Wall will offer a diverse local, national and international audience the chance to experience a large-scale spectacle at the Tower of London.

East Wall will further fulfil Historic Royal Palaces’ ambition to create artistic commissions for the Tower of London moat since the success of the poppies project: Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red. It is also part of LIFT’s commitment to commissioning bold new work from world-class artists and is the first project announced for the next bi-annual festival. Together all four partners will celebrate existing partnerships as well as forging new artistic relationships.


Wednesday 18 - Sunday 22 July at 7.30pm
Visit East Wall for more information and tickets
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