IN A scene remisicent of the film Up, a wall of glowing, undulating balloons will form the centrepiece of the Quays Festival opening event on Tuesday 14 July.
Illuminating the sharp, modern architecture of MediaCityUK, the otherworldly structure of 300 LED-lit balloons will float towards the night sky as a choir of hundreds performs. Before audiences get carried away, they can paint the 100-ft Mini Burble sculpture in luminous colours through a specially designed Mini Burble App.
Mini Burble flies at 5pm each night and the first show is two and half hours
Underlining the theme of participation that runs through The Quays culture programme, Umbrellium were commissioned by Quays Culture to provide the interactive centrepiece to the five-day spectacle. The programme also sees Boy Blue Entertainment, famed for realising Danny Boyle’s vision as choreographers for the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, lead hundreds of volunteer dancers in a mass dance street performance that responds to Mini Burble on the closing night (Saturday 18 July).
Salford Quays skyline
Lucy Dusgate of Quays Culture, said: “Mini Burble really needs to be seen to be believed, with hundreds of balloons taking on fluid, organic shapes as the breeze changes direction.
"For the last three years we have offered open cultural events on The Quays and have found that people are excited by the opportunity to join in with these futuristic artworks. So, to be able to offer them the chance to play with a giant digital sculpture or join a dance troop of hundreds is just as fantastic, and best of all it’s all free.”
Other events include a talk from Umbrellium (Monday 13th July), as the artists discuss the challenges of staging spectacles in urban spaces, and an interactive tech-maker stall where you can make your own free digital artwork to take home.
Mini Burble flies at 5pm each night and the first show is two and half hours followed by a one and half hour production at 9pm when the balloons will be spectacularly lit against the night sky.
The Quays Festival runs from Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th July 2015.
Visit The Quays website for more information.
