The Rugby League World Cup 2021 Cultural Festival will take to the streets of Hull this weekend for a spectacular free outdoor show, Power of Performance: This Is Us.
With the tournament in full swing, professional performers and a participant cast from the local area will take part in a specially commissioned outdoor show featuring dance, music and aerial performance on Saturday (22 October).
Capturing the atmosphere and energy of the sport and bringing it to the city streets, Power of Performance: This is Us will tell three distinct stories about rugby league and its people, charting how it has evolved from its roots to the sport we see today. Exploring the working-class origins of the game, how it became more inclusive through pioneering players, and the special connections between players and fans, Power of Performance: This is Us celebrates the tournament’s theme, The Power of Together.
Ahead of the game between New Zealand and Jamaica at the MKM Stadium, fans of sport and art will be able to enjoy performances at three locations, which will repeat on a cycle between 4pm and 6pm.
- Origins – Trinity Square
- One and All – Zebedee’s Yard
- Tries and Triumphs – Queen Victoria Square
Katy Fuller of Pinwheel, who is Creative Director and Producer of the whole Cultural Festival, commented: “After months of preparation, we can’t wait to share these powerful stories with those attending the match, but also anybody else who wants to come along and watch these free performances. The movement, storytelling, evocative new music and amazing skill of the performers are all coming together to create three emotionally charged shows, and I’m so excited to see how people react.”
Katy Fuller is no stranger to Hull, having spent six years in the city as Executive Producer for the City of Culture 2017 programme and then the first Creative Director of Absolutely Cultured.
She adds “I know first-hand how well Hull audiences respond to these exciting outdoor performances and given that the subject matter of Rugby League is also very close to the hearts of many Hull residents I am sure the show will be warmly received.”
Power of Performance: This is Us has been directed by Robby Graham from Southpaw Dance Company, who also brought the large-scale outdoor dance show RUSH to Hull’s Freedom Festival in 2017. It has been written by Simon Sharkey, who was one of the artists on Land of Green Ginger, another cornerstone of the Hull 2017 programme.
The Rugby League World Cup 2021 Cultural Festival partners are: Leeds 2023, Newcastle City Council, Hull City Council and Libraries Connected. The festival has been generously supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and the North of Tyne Combined Authority
For more information about the Rugby League World Cup Festival, click here.
