Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games - Glasgow 2014 stage a personal, stylish and proud Handover

Glasgow 2014 stage a personal, stylish and proud Handover

CeremonyGlasgow 2014 has staged an outstanding Handover Ceremony, successfully combining elements of traditional Scottish heritage, the beauty of rural Scottish life and the more modern, urban and dynamic cityscape in Glasgow.

The performance was designed by an internationally renowned creative team put together by Unspun, led by Executive Producer Catherine Ugwu and Creative Director Mark Fisher, both known for their multiple prestigious Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

The team developed a creative performance that would involve people of all levels of dance and performance experience and showcase the best of Scotland. A modern take on a proud Scottish heritage was highly visible in the form of tartan, kilts, bagpipes and the Loch Ness monster, all of whom made an appearance in the mass choreographed piece. Iconic architecture of Glasgow was the centrepiece to the performance, in the form of a 30m long replica of one of Glasgow’s famous buildings, the Clyde Auditorium – known by most as the “Armadillo”.

In keeping with Glasgow 2014’s personal approach, the two characters central to the cast were not celebrities, but two young Scots whose passion is playing the bagpipes. The cast who they led are from every corner of Scotland, from all backgrounds and from all walks of life – apprentice electricians, full time volunteers, teachers, students and office workers, all of whom will be given the opportunity to become formal Ambassadors for Glasgow 2014.

Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive John Scott said:

“This has been the most incredible journey for Glasgow 2014 and the whole process has been based on the people of Scotland and therefore has a very personal touch to it. We went out and sought to involve as many people as possible from a wide variety of backgrounds – from sports volunteers to dance teachers to students – and offered them this amazing opportunity.

“I have great pride in the cast and crew who have all worked so hard over the last few months to put on this stylish performance on a world stage, all of whom personally wanted to invite the whole Commonwealth to Glasgow in four years time.”

Robert Winter, the Lord Provost of Glasgow, said:

"I am immensely proud to have played a role in bringing the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow. The Flag Handover was a fantastic spectacle and I hope all the people at home who saw it on television enjoyed it as much as I did. "Now that Delhi 2010 has finished, the focus will very much be on Glasgow 2014. We are already well on our way to making the most of what is a once in a generation opportunity to transform Glasgow socially, economically and environmentally."

First Minister Alex Salmond said:

“I am proud to have been here to represent Scotland on this momentous occasion. It is marvellous that the passing of the baton to Glasgow as the next Host City of the Commonwealth Games is being celebrated both in Delhi and at the many events marking the Handover across Scotland.

“Over the past two weeks Scotland's athletes have been fantastic ambassadors for their country in their quest for Commonwealth success and this breathtaking finale is a truly fitting tribute to their efforts and the conclusion of the Games.

“The marvellous performance staged tonight by the cast brought a unique Scottish flair to this very special occasion. Scotland is already excited about hosting the Games in 2014 and the Handover Ceremony showed the world how spectacular this event will be by showcasing our country’s spirit and our greatest asset, our people.”

Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, Michael Cavanagh, said:

"As the final week of the Games in Delhi have gone on, Team Scotland's thoughts have increasingly turned to the handover of the flag and the next Games in Glasgow in 2014.

"Our athletes have watched with interest how the home crowds here in Delhi have spurred the Indian team on to some inspired performances and they know what a huge advantage this will be to them when they are the home team in Glasgow.

"We look forward to being the host Commonwealth Games Association for the next Games and welcoming our fellow athletes and officials to Scotland in four years time."

Sara Donaldson, Strategy Director for Unspun, said:

“Every Handover Ceremony strives to bring to life its city’s unique personality. For Glasgow 2014, our creative approach was very much centred around involving real people and from the outset we wanted to put genuine Scots from every corner of the country at the heart of our piece.

“It has been a real challenge, but today we have managed to do just that. We are all delighted with the performance, and believe that this has shown how personal, stylish and proud Glasgow is as a city.”

Notes to Editors

1. You can access the full Media Handbook from 12 midday BST at www.glasgow2014.com/Delhi2010/Media . The content of the Media Handbook is strictly embargoed until the hero piper walks into the Stadium to mark the start of the Handover Ceremony performance.

2. You can follow Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive John Scott on Twitter at “john_2014”

3. Please visit our website for further information on Glasgow 2014 venues, sports and ambitions at www.glasgow2014.com

4. For more information or interviews, please contact Glasgow 2014 PR Manager Holly Wheeler on +91 88 600 54959 in Delhi or on my UK mobile +44 7768 841 354, or email holly.wheeler@glasgow2014.com

Case Studies – the people

Glasgow Life, who managed the project on behalf of Glasgow City Council, recruited the cast with the specific aim of delivering a real and lasting legacy. The recruitment process allowed Glasgow to work side by side with every local authority area to create a piece that was representative of Scotland.

Many of those who took part had no previous performance experience but each and every one of them completed a life-changing intensive Bootcamp rehearsal programme, where they worked together to deliver this truly memorable showcase for the nation.

• 352 Cast members which includes the following breakdown:
   2 Hero Pipers
   272 fabric cast
   78 structure cast

• A team of 86 crew including creative, production, technical, stage management, choreography, cast coordinators, project team and project volunteers and interns

• All of Scotland is represented in the cast from all of the 32 local authority areas covering the entire length and breadth of Scotland – 9 people representing Shetland and the Orkney Islands to 8 people representing the Scottish Borders

• Within the cast there are 241 females and 111 males

• There are a wide range of Modern Apprentices in the cast from industry areas including electricians, mechanics, joiners etc who have all grasped the opportunity to further develop life skills in this once in a lifetime project

• The cast range from 18 years old to 59 years old

• Occupations within the cast range from artist to Braille communicator; actor to snowboard instructor; camerawoman to dental nurse; civil engineer to gardener; primary school teacher to solicitor; students and dancers

• Nationalities represented in the cast include 341 British and 11 cast members with a range of nationalities who are currently studying or working in Scotland

• 329 people within the cast have stated that they do not consider themselves to have a disability

• Over 80 organisations from across Scotland supported the recruitment of the mass cast including, national dance organisations, national piping fraternity, dance schools, sport and community organisations, higher and further educational establishments, voluntary sectors, Local Authorities

• Brother and sister Douglas (20) and Claire Gillespie (22) are both taking part in the Handover Ceremony supported by friends and family back home in Glasgow

• Laura Crawford from Orkney had to get first time passport and never travelled outside Scotland prior to the Handover

• Cast member Lauren Jamieson’s brother, Michael Jamieson has competed twice in the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games swimming and won silver in the 200m breaststroke. The Jamieson family are in Delhi to support Michael and are staying on especially to see Lauren perform in the Handover Ceremony

• Fiona Prior is a singing social worker from Glasgow who wanted extend her experience in performance

• Alex Bowie is a Glasgow Art School graduate working with asylum seekers and was a member of the original panel that chose Unspun and their creative for the Handover Ceremony

• Cherry Lyne is a librarian and mum of three from Helensburgh

• 5 enthusiastic cast members, Georgina Beck, Jamie Auld, Chimuka Nyamutale, Stephanie Trainor and Scott Gilmour have been providing exclusive insights into the Handover Ceremony via blogs on www.glasgow2014.com

Further notes on the Handover Ceremony

Expected timings

The Delhi 2010 Closing Ceremony will commence at 7.00pm IST with the Handover Ceremony expected to begin at approximately 8.00pm IST.

The BBC will Broadcast live in the UK with a 2.30pm BST start to the Closing Ceremony and an approximate 3.30pm BST start for the Flag Handover Ceremony.

The protocol

The Flag Handover Segment will happen after the Athlete’s Parade and before the David Dickson Award.

There will be a number of speeches from representatives from Delhi, and the Lord Provost of Glasgow will also speak.

The symbolic handing over of the Flag from Commonwealth Games Federation President, Mike Fennell, to Glasgow, will officially mark the moment that Glasgow becomes the new Host City of the 20th Commonwealth Games.

The Establishing Film

At approximately 8.10pm, a short film will play in the stadium, highlighting Scotland’s diverse communities, celebrating its natural beauty and stunning landscapes before focusing on iconic images from Glasgow’s distinctive cityscape.

The film lasts for 90 seconds and then the main performance will start.

The performance

A single spotlight picks out a Lone Piper on the Field of Play before he is joined by the rest of the Cast who all run towards the Piper in a theatrical Highland Charge style.

The cast support the Piper on an LED board that is carried into position and then all fall into position to form a Labyrinth shape that then morphs into a Maze as a second Piper also walks on LED boards as the Cast support his path into the middle of the Maze and the Hero Pipers come together, proud and strong.

The Cast who are all clothed in a variety of contemporary Tartan Kilts and waistcoats, designed by Scot’s Designer Jilli Blackwood, move through a series of arrangements, using cleverly folded large cloths to portray an entire series of tartans that look spectacular from an aerial view. The final tartan turns blue and white cloths are carried onto the tartan to portray a Saltire – The St Andrew’s Flag.

A large inflatable arc is brought on and the blue tartan turns into the River Clyde flowing under the Arc Bridge, known as the Squinty Bridge and a very recognisable iconic image from Glasgow’s Cityscape. Seven other similar inflatable props are ushered on, of varying sizes and are brought on and all merge to re-create one of Glasgow’s most recognised buildings, the Armadillo, upon which images celebrating Glasgow’s heritage are
projected as all the Cast gather inside the inflatable structure.

The Armadillo then rotates and as the Cast re-emerge onto the Field of Play, they form a Celtic Knot around the Armadillo.

A Highland Fling is then performed and the Cast then use the inflatable arch props to conjure up a fun image of the Loch Ness Monster, with a playful wagging tail as all the Cast Members and two hero Pipers exit the Field of Play and Glasgow is officially the Host City for the Commonwealth Games.