Saturday, November 28, 2015

FIL Opening

A day, largely, of protocol - starting with a 2-hour opening ceremony with the longest praesidium I've ever seen, stretching off into the distance, and around 2,000 people packed into the Expo's main hall. Needless to say, a lot of speeches, including one from our Secretary of State for Culture, and nice words spoken about the UK Guest of Honour programme and pavilion from all sides. Then the formal opening of our Pavilion, followed by the opening luncheon for a mere 750 people amidst a sea of round tables, the food for which was created by the affable Alan Coxon. 
Aside from protocol, we had a children's model-making session with the equally affable Jim Parkyn of Aardman, a dramatised 'chance meeting' between Shakespeare and Cervantes (both facing 400 Year anniversaries in 2016) and this evening the first of the nine shows at ForoFIL, the great Millennium Dome-like concert venue attached to the Expo. So kicking off the music & dance programme was indie-band Spector. Not a big name here but they went down well and the place was packed. 
Exhausted. And it's just Day One...

No comments:

Post a Comment