[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":780},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-reflecting-on-our-journey-to-salfords-centenary":3},{"title":4,"summary":5,"primaryImage":6,"heroImage":28,"heroTagline":40,"newsTags":41,"postDate":55,"location":56,"author":57,"authorLink":58,"intro":66,"slices5":72,"presentedBy":268,"partners":272,"withRelatedNews":277,"relatedNews":278,"tags":776,"id":778,"publishedDate":779},"Reflecting on our journey to Salford’s centenary","In this article, Liz Pugh looks back on Walk the Plank’s arrival in Salford in 1992, reflecting on the regeneration that has shaped the city up to the present day, and co-producing Salford’s centenary year cultural programme.",{"dimensions":7,"alt":10,"copyright":11,"url":12,"id":13,"edit":14,"meta":19},{"width":8,"height":9},4000,3000,"Group of people on a decorated outdoor stage wearing colorful costumes and hats, engaging in a lively performance or celebration.",null,"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002Fahf9arK9tuLqENhC_seedley_230526_040.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=291%2C43%2C3637%2C2728&w=4000&h=3000","ahf9arK9tuLqENhC",{"x":15,"y":16,"zoom":17,"background":18},291,43,1.1,"transparent",{"dimensions":20,"alt":10,"copyright":11,"url":23,"id":13,"edit":24},{"width":21,"height":22},1200,630,"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002Fahf9arK9tuLqENhC_seedley_230526_040.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C157%2C4500%2C2363&w=1200&h=630",{"x":25,"y":26,"zoom":27,"background":18},0,157,1,{"dimensions":29,"alt":10,"copyright":11,"url":31,"id":13,"edit":32,"portrait":35},{"width":8,"height":30},2850,"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002Fahf9arK9tuLqENhC_seedley_230526_040.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=133%2C0%2C3900%2C2779&w=4000&h=2850",{"x":33,"y":25,"zoom":34,"background":18},133,1.08,{"dimensions":36,"alt":10,"copyright":11,"url":37,"id":13,"edit":38},{"width":30,"height":8},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002Fahf9arK9tuLqENhC_seedley_230526_040.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=1026%2C0%2C2138%2C3001&w=2850&h=4000",{"x":39,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},1026,[],[42],{"newsTag":43},{"id":44,"type":45,"tags":46,"lang":47,"slug":48,"first_publication_date":49,"last_publication_date":49,"uid":48,"data":50,"link_type":52,"key":53,"isBroken":54},"ZICbOhAAACEAg-h0","newsTag",[],"en-gb","thoughts","2023-06-07T14:59:09+0000",{"title":51},"Thoughts","Document","4b8d3d8e-e3d3-4b78-8b1f-27c0ccd36139",false,"2026-05-25T23:00:00+0000","Salford, UK","Liz Pugh",{"id":59,"type":60,"tags":61,"lang":47,"slug":62,"first_publication_date":63,"last_publication_date":64,"uid":62,"link_type":52,"key":65,"isBroken":54},"ZHngRxAAACUAnrfM","team",[],"liz-pugh","2023-06-02T12:30:33+0000","2025-05-07T09:58:12+0000","df2267de-8b2f-4dc5-b1ce-0415d8906da4",[67],{"type":68,"text":69,"spans":70,"direction":71},"paragraph","I’m old enough to remember LP’s, the vinyl Long Playing record that played at 33.3rpm… thirty-three and a third… a third of a century. A centenary is a moment to measure time, mark change, celebrate what’s still here and what’s different.   ",[],"ltr",[73,84,103,117,146,208],{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":76,"primary":77,"id":82,"slice_type":83,"slice_label":11},"default","initial",[],{"heading":11,"body":78},[79],{"type":68,"text":80,"spans":81,"direction":71},"Sailing up the Manchester Ship Canal in 1992, and then performing our first show on board the theatre ship in the wasteland that was Salford Docks, nobody would have guessed that Walk the Plank would still be here, making art happen in the city in 2026, more than a third of a century later!   ",[],"text_block$b414f8a7-d205-4981-9c87-3e16b4fcb03a","text_block",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":85,"primary":86,"id":101,"slice_type":102,"slice_label":11},[],{"image":87,"caption":100},{"dimensions":88,"alt":90,"copyright":11,"url":91,"id":92,"edit":93,"portrait":95},{"width":8,"height":89},2000,"A blue and yellow ship that says Walk the Plank on the water in front of land ","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002Fe0ba4dc6-a57b-4eaf-b36f-fe043e5cdceb_Ship-at-Sea-300dpi.jpeg?auto=format,compress&rect=0,139,3425,1713&w=4000&h=2000","ZH8RyhAAACAAfMy1",{"x":25,"y":94,"zoom":27,"background":18},139,{"dimensions":96,"alt":90,"copyright":11,"url":97,"id":92,"edit":98},{"width":30,"height":8},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002Fe0ba4dc6-a57b-4eaf-b36f-fe043e5cdceb_Ship-at-Sea-300dpi.jpeg?auto=format,compress&rect=1004,0,1418,1990&w=2850&h=4000",{"x":99,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},1004,"Walk the Plank's boat: Fitzcarraldo","full_width_image_block$ca960c11-f36e-4e6f-a630-b24e93937da9","full_width_image_block",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":104,"primary":105,"id":116,"slice_type":83,"slice_label":11},[],{"heading":11,"body":106},[107,110,113],{"type":68,"text":108,"spans":109,"direction":71},"Salford Quays was not much more than a twinkle in developers' eyes, and nobody had imagined the arrival of the BBC, ITV and the other tv production facilities of Media City. After squatting a portacabin next to the Salford Quays project office, and needing to moor the ship in different docks as development marched on, Walk the Plank occupied various meanwhile spaces before securing the investment - bank loan, Arts Council capital funds, and our own fundraising - to make Cobden Works in east Salford our forever home. ",[],{"type":68,"text":111,"spans":112,"direction":71},"The metamorphosis of the docks in the 1990's - which included the opening of the Lowry in 2000 - has undoubtedly driven regeneration across the city, and raised the ambitions, and employment opportunities, of children and young people.  But Salford remains a place that has had more than its fair share of poverty and related challenges –  not least chronic under-investment in the arts and cultural infrastructure compared to Manchester. In 2006, there were only two Art Council England NPO’s (National Portfolio organisations) in the city - the Lowry and Walk the Plank - compared to nineteen in Manchester. Today there are four NPO's in the city, and over £400k was invested in arts projects in Salford (compared to more than £3 million in Manchester) in 2024\u002F5 so some progress. ",[],{"type":68,"text":114,"spans":115,"direction":71},"But most of our work has always taken place elsewhere... in other cities, in other countries, at festivals nationally and internationally. 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The chance to work in our chosen home this summer, and to make something magic happen for its residents – our neighbours - is a gift. ",[164,168,172,174,176,177,180,181,184],{"start":165,"end":166,"type":167},87,102,"em",{"start":165,"end":169,"type":156,"data":170},120,{"link_type":158,"url":171,"target":160},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.walktheplank.co.uk\u002Fprojects\u002Fsalford-100\u002F",{"start":165,"end":166,"type":173},"strong",{"start":175,"end":169,"type":167},107,{"start":175,"end":169,"type":173},{"start":178,"end":179,"type":167},145,163,{"start":178,"end":179,"type":173},{"start":182,"end":183,"type":167},198,214,{"start":182,"end":183,"type":173},{"type":68,"text":186,"spans":187,"direction":71},"Often, local artists get ignored in favour of bigger names when bigger money flows – and the irony that we have often been the “bigger name” that is brought in from the outside is not lost on me.  When that happens, we always try to work in partnership with local artists who hold relationships built on trust within their own communities, but the redistribution of resources is rarely enough, and always time-limited or one-off.  ",[],{"type":68,"text":189,"spans":190,"direction":71},"I hope that our commitment to the slow embedded work that sustains meaningful engagement in diverse communities, led by our Salford Producer, Ben Turner, means that on this occasion we can be both the local artists that hold the relationships of trust with Salford’s groups, and the “bigger name” that brings our 33 years of long playing – which underpins our ambition, our wild ideas and our resourcefulness - to Salford in this special year.  ",[191,193],{"start":192,"end":183,"type":173},197,{"start":194,"end":130,"type":173},284,{"type":68,"text":196,"spans":197,"direction":71},"Do come and see the Wagon Train – our pop up mini festival, programmed differently in each neighbourhood – over the summer, or catch the Wagon Train finale in October. 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Minster as the evening drew in and a main stage overflowed with Taylor Swift tributes, Hip Hop and Rap. Art works and soundscapes were exhibited and huge audience stood spellbound as a spectacular bedtime story was projected onto Charlie, accompanied by a cinematic musical score and pyrotechnics. 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Working with over 10,000 young people in schools, community groups, colleges and youth clubs gathering content through four months of creative conversations.",[339],{"start":340,"end":15,"type":167},278,"text_block$d0c32de0-1727-478d-ac79-314284d3cb07",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":343,"primary":377,"id":378,"slice_type":267,"slice_label":11},[344,351,358,364,370],{"image":345,"caption":327},{"dimensions":346,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":347,"id":348,"edit":349},{"width":8,"height":30},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FafDFAcBOoF08xYHw_TheBirthdayParty!ChildrensCpaitalofCulture%2CSamMcQueen-120-.jpg?auto=format,compress&rect=96,0,2807,2000&w=4000&h=2850","afDFAcBOoF08xYHw",{"x":350,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},96,{"image":352,"caption":11},{"dimensions":353,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":354,"id":355,"edit":356},{"width":8,"height":30},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FafDFYsBOoF08xYH9_TheBirthdayParty!Children%27sCapitalofCulture%2CAbbieRose-15-.jpg?auto=format,compress&rect=0,4,4488,3198&w=4000&h=2850","afDFYsBOoF08xYH9",{"x":25,"y":357,"zoom":27,"background":18},4,{"image":359,"caption":327},{"dimensions":360,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":361,"id":362,"edit":363},{"width":8,"height":30},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FafDFPsBOoF08xYH5_TheBirthdayParty!ChildrensCpaitalofCulture%2CSamMcQueen-67-.jpg?auto=format,compress&rect=96,0,2807,2000&w=4000&h=2850","afDFPsBOoF08xYH5",{"x":350,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},{"image":365,"caption":11},{"dimensions":366,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":367,"id":368,"edit":369},{"width":8,"height":30},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FafDFf8BOoF08xYIB_TheBirthdayParty!Children%27sCapitalofCulture%2CAbbieRose-34-.jpg?auto=format,compress&rect=0,5,5227,3724&w=4000&h=2850","afDFf8BOoF08xYIB",{"x":25,"y":248,"zoom":27,"background":18},{"image":371,"caption":376},{"dimensions":372,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":373,"id":374,"edit":375},{"width":8,"height":30},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FafDFGsBOoF08xYHz_TheBirthdayParty!ChildrensCpaitalofCulture%2CSamMcQueen-131-.jpg?auto=format,compress&rect=96,0,2807,2000&w=4000&h=2850","afDFGsBOoF08xYHz",{"x":350,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},"The Birthday Party! Children's Capital of Culture, Sam McQueen",{},"image_carousel_block$ee1018ce-7e17-4ece-90b3-e9ee9a4ef449",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":380,"primary":381,"id":395,"slice_type":83,"slice_label":11},[],{"heading":11,"body":382},[383,386,389,392],{"type":68,"text":384,"spans":385,"direction":71},"Sessions in event planning and skills sharing took place at our Walk the Plank headquarters and in Rotherham. Puppeteering, special effects, choreography, creative writing, programming, diverse opinions and youth culture were discussed and shared over baked potatoes, and a mutual desire to deliver a day and night like Rotherham hadn’t seen before.",[],{"type":68,"text":387,"spans":388,"direction":71},"We met weekly with a commitment that no creative decisions would be made without the input or approval of the assistant producers and the youth programme panel. A truly collaborative approach which was a joy to participate in.",[],{"type":68,"text":390,"spans":391,"direction":71},"On the day, as we watched the town filling with young people and families, Grace one of our Assistant producers joked that there was a forty two year age gap between the oldest and youngest member of the producing team. And we both agreed that the event and the process had been so much the richer for it.",[],{"type":68,"text":393,"spans":394,"direction":71},"Most importantly was the true sense of ownership the young people of Rotherham had for their finale – a spectacular event that we were privileged to have supported. We are now looking forward to seeing the legacy of this incredible year and where our young producers go next.",[],"text_block$bf4eabe2-ee46-4cde-9388-e0a294091096",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":397,"primary":398,"id":410,"slice_type":102,"slice_label":11},[],{"image":399,"caption":376},{"dimensions":400,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":401,"id":402,"edit":403,"portrait":405},{"width":8,"height":89},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002Faeo7esBOoF08xQVC_Image-541.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C189%2C4894%2C2447&w=4000&h=2000","aeo7esBOoF08xQVC",{"x":25,"y":404,"zoom":27,"background":18},189,{"dimensions":406,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":407,"id":402,"edit":408},{"width":30,"height":8},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002Faeo7esBOoF08xQVC_Image-541.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=1002%2C0%2C2491%2C3496&w=2850&h=4000",{"x":409,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},1002,"full_width_image_block$eb7a43bc-17f3-44c3-8c45-58ab5150d549",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":412,"primary":413,"id":426,"slice_type":83,"slice_label":11},[],{"heading":414,"body":415},"The Birthday Party, Children's Capital of Culture",[416,419],{"type":68,"text":417,"spans":418,"direction":71},"In 2025, Rotherham became the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture. In 2026, we produced the final celebration to honour this momentous status – throwing a huge Birthday Party!",[],{"type":68,"text":420,"spans":421,"direction":71},"Learn more about this huge celebration that took over Rotherham's city centre. ",[422],{"start":25,"end":423,"type":156,"data":424},77,{"link_type":158,"url":425,"target":160},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.walktheplank.co.uk\u002Fprojects\u002Fthe-birthday-party-childrens-capital-of-culture-finale\u002F","text_block$de64e1c4-6fd8-4888-b2bb-8dd16397605d",[428],{"type":68,"text":429,"spans":430,"direction":71},"Once upon a time in Rotherham, polar bears and giant tortoises roamed the town centre, a cheeky orangutan joked with passers-by, kangaroos and Herdwick sheep bounced and danced with shoppers and hundreds of school children learnt to sing Happy Birthday in two part harmony to a 30 foot baby called Charlie.",[],"Once upon a time in Rotherham",[433,441],{"entry":434},{"id":435,"type":282,"tags":436,"lang":47,"slug":437,"first_publication_date":438,"last_publication_date":439,"uid":437,"link_type":52,"key":440,"isBroken":54},"aMrczBAAACUAt2bt",[],"nothing-about-us-without-us","2025-10-27T14:26:14+0000","2025-12-18T09:54:32+0000","08ed3041-aa45-446c-85b7-1fca580e614b",{"entry":442},{"id":443,"type":282,"tags":444,"lang":47,"slug":445,"first_publication_date":446,"last_publication_date":447,"uid":448,"link_type":52,"key":449,"isBroken":54},"aSgtFxIAACMA6a92",[],"how-animating-ashington-restarted-a-mining-towns-creative-heartbeat","2025-11-27T11:15:14+0000","2025-12-16T15:13:59+0000","mining-towns-creative-heartbeat-animating-ashington","0661d789-e0fb-4775-b61a-5cdda0379ef2",{"dimensions":451,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":452,"id":348,"edit":453,"meta":455},{"width":8,"height":9},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FafDFAcBOoF08xYHw_TheBirthdayParty!ChildrensCpaitalofCulture%2CSamMcQueen-120-.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=202%2C0%2C2667%2C2000&w=4000&h=3000",{"x":454,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},202,{"dimensions":456,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":457,"id":348,"edit":458},{"width":21,"height":22},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FafDFAcBOoF08xYHw_TheBirthdayParty!ChildrensCpaitalofCulture%2CSamMcQueen-120-.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=0%2C61%2C3000%2C1575&w=1200&h=630",{"x":25,"y":459,"zoom":27,"background":18},61,"In this thought piece, Bev Ayre reflects on artistically directing the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture in Rotherham, and explores how the entire process was youth-led and informed by collaboration, resulting in a playful and vibrant spectacle.",{"dimensions":462,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":463,"id":464,"edit":465,"portrait":468},{"width":8,"height":30},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FafDFMsBOoF08xYH3_TheBirthdayParty!ChildrensCpaitalofCulture%2CSamMcQueen-117-.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=91%2C0%2C2807%2C2000&w=4000&h=2850","afDFMsBOoF08xYH3",{"x":466,"y":25,"zoom":467,"background":18},91,1.0000062500390627,{"dimensions":469,"alt":11,"copyright":11,"url":470,"id":464,"edit":471},{"width":30,"height":8},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FafDFMsBOoF08xYH3_TheBirthdayParty!ChildrensCpaitalofCulture%2CSamMcQueen-117-.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=788%2C0%2C1425%2C2000&w=2850&h=4000",{"x":326,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},"Rotherham, UK",[474],{"link":475,"label":11,"logo":476},{"link_type":275},{},[478],{"newsTag":479},{"id":44,"type":45,"tags":480,"lang":47,"slug":48,"first_publication_date":49,"last_publication_date":49,"uid":48,"link_type":52,"key":481,"isBroken":54},[],"c174ab50-7dfb-41a4-bf12-8946f0135a2c",{"id":483,"postDate":484,"type":282,"uid":485,"author":486,"presentedBy":487,"authorLink":491,"slices5":494,"withRelatedNews":277,"title":741,"relatedNews":742,"primaryImage":745,"summary":756,"heroImage":757,"partners":767,"newsTags":771},"aYtFLhAAACUAj5Ab","2026-02-26T11:05:00+0000","reimagining-olympic-spectacle","Dr Beatriz Garcia, Chair, Walk the Plank and International expert on mega events, cities & culture ",[488],{"link":489,"label":11,"logo":490},{"link_type":158},{},{"link_type":158,"key":492,"url":493},"f144f005-5b84-491f-ac5f-79f381229175","https:\u002F\u002Fuk.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fdrbgarcia",[495,509,566,579,616,628,666],{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":496,"primary":497,"id":508,"slice_type":83,"slice_label":11},[],{"heading":11,"body":498},[499,502,505],{"type":68,"text":500,"spans":501,"direction":71},"The Paris 2024 opening ceremony was a bold reimagining of Olympic spectacle — moving beyond the stadium to stage a flamboyant, culturally rich, and politically resonant show across the Seine and Paris’s iconic landmarks.",[],{"type":68,"text":503,"spans":504,"direction":71},"The ceremony succeeded in delivering a visually stunning, emotionally rich, deeply French narrative — with widespread praise for its audacity and artistry. But it also revealed the limits of such ambition: visibility issues, pacing problems, weather, and overexposure of provocative segments diluted the live experience and provoked controversy.",[],{"type":68,"text":506,"spans":507,"direction":71},"In embracing the public realm, the ceremony redefined what an Olympic opening can be — but at the cost of the tight coherence and controlled spectacle a stadium provides. In this article, I discuss why, despite these challenges, embracing the city as the main stage of historic event landmarks is deeply meaningful and relevant to the event's cultural legacy.",[],"text_block$e0cc2acf-4226-43fd-9415-f9866e04083a",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":510,"primary":511,"id":565,"slice_type":83,"slice_label":11},[],{"heading":11,"body":512},[513,518,524,527,533,538,543,548,551,556,562],{"type":68,"text":514,"spans":515,"direction":71},"Games wide open in Paris 2024 | 'Ouvrons grand les jeux'",[516],{"start":25,"end":517,"type":173},56,{"type":68,"text":519,"spans":520,"direction":71},"For the first time in Olympic history, the Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Games moved out of the stadium and onto the streets, waters, and landmarks of Paris. On the 26 July 2024, the river Seine became the main stage, with iconic backdrops telling a story that was at once ambitious, imaginative, and deeply French.",[521],{"start":522,"end":523,"type":167},85,103,{"type":68,"text":525,"spans":526,"direction":71},"Reactions were as diverse as the show itself:",[],{"type":528,"text":529,"spans":530,"direction":71},"list-item","The arts community celebrated a bold vision of cultural storytelling in public space.",[531],{"start":357,"end":532,"type":173},18,{"type":528,"text":534,"spans":535,"direction":71},"The French public took pride in seeing their city centre transformed into a shared world stage.",[536],{"start":357,"end":537,"type":173},17,{"type":528,"text":539,"spans":540,"direction":71},"International guests and Olympic sponsors were more cautious, however, with many finding the experience fragmented and challenging.",[541],{"start":25,"end":542,"type":173},41,{"type":528,"text":544,"spans":545,"direction":71},"And the media offered mixed coverage, highlighting the ceremony’s cultural and artistic ambition as well as noting its many logistical and interpretation challenges",[546],{"start":25,"end":547,"type":173},38,{"type":68,"text":549,"spans":550,"direction":71},"The question thus remains: with such an ambitious event, can this model – a global Olympic ceremony happening within the city as multivenue  - shape future Games openings?",[],{"type":68,"text":552,"spans":553,"direction":71},"The city vs the stadium as iconic stage:  Are there tensions? Why does this matter?",[554],{"start":25,"end":555,"type":173},83,{"type":68,"text":557,"spans":558,"direction":71},"The Paris ceremony was not just an event, but a test case for reimagining how cities can host culture at scale. By placing culture into the urban fabric, organisers expanded access, created powerful images, and broke the mould of stadium spectacle. But they also exposed the risks: complex logistics, security trade-offs, visibility issues, and controversies around provocative imagery that was easily misunderstood.",[559],{"start":560,"end":561,"type":167},74,110,{"type":68,"text":563,"spans":564,"direction":71},"Find below a summary of the most dominant expressions of added-value vs the most widely noted challenges of staging this Olympic ceremony across multiple sites in the public realm.",[],"text_block$062294c1-ba4d-4bd4-8ef8-ecc005f4ffbe",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":567,"primary":577,"id":578,"slice_type":267,"slice_label":11},[568],{"image":569,"caption":576},{"dimensions":570,"alt":571,"copyright":11,"url":572,"id":573,"edit":574},{"width":8,"height":30},"Actors in large bustling red gowns perform from 8 windows in the Gothic revival style. The actors are headless. Red streamers fill the foreground.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FaaAekcFoBIGEg2qU_Image3.png?auto=format,compress&rect=44,0,1272,906&w=4000&h=2850","aaAekcFoBIGEg2qU",{"x":575,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},44,"Decapitated Marie Antoinettes perform from the windows of the very place, la Conciergerie, where the original queen awaited her fate.",{},"image_carousel_block$ea6f8a0c-ae8f-4114-8e6e-3401fd332847",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":580,"primary":581,"id":615,"slice_type":83,"slice_label":11},[],{"heading":582,"body":583},"Added Value",[584,589,592,596,599,604,607,612],{"type":528,"text":585,"spans":586,"direction":71},"Accessibility & symbolism: ",[587],{"start":25,"end":588,"type":173},25,{"type":68,"text":590,"spans":591,"direction":71},"Using public spaces like the Seine and its surrounding landmarks democratized the ceremony — literally bringing the Games into the heart of the city — while highlighting Paris’s heritage in a way a stadium couldn’t. This was significant and arguably ‘necessary’ to fulfil the Paris 2024 vision of a ‘Games Wide Open’",[],{"type":528,"text":593,"spans":594,"direction":71},"Cultural immersion: ",[595],{"start":25,"end":532,"type":173},{"type":68,"text":597,"spans":598,"direction":71},"The sliding panorama of Paris monuments, the live boat parade, and performances at Notre-Dame, Conciergerie, and the Eiffel Tower made this ceremony uniquely French and visually spectacular",[],{"type":528,"text":600,"spans":601,"direction":71},"Emotional resonance: ",[602],{"start":25,"end":603,"type":173},19,{"type":68,"text":605,"spans":606,"direction":71},"For many, the drama and stakes of a nontraditional setting made the spectacle come alive in ways never experienced before — reinforcing themes of diversity, communal identity, and artistic ambition",[],{"type":528,"text":608,"spans":609,"direction":71},"Global applause: ",[610],{"start":25,"end":611,"type":173},15,{"type":68,"text":613,"spans":614,"direction":71},"Leaders worldwide noted the ceremony's boldness and creativity — the kind of spectacle that made Paris’s opening ceremony stand out and completely in line with what the world expects from such a world city.",[],"text_block$b224d086-41fb-4f70-9472-66668a058907",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":617,"primary":626,"id":627,"slice_type":267,"slice_label":11},[618],{"image":619,"caption":11},{"dimensions":620,"alt":621,"copyright":11,"url":622,"id":623,"edit":624},{"width":8,"height":30},"A table with 3 columns, one in pink, green, and orange which is filled with text","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FaaAx78FoBIGEg246_Untitleddesign-6-.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&rect=20%2C0%2C1120%2C798&w=4000&h=2850","aaAx78FoBIGEg246",{"x":625,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},20,{},"image_carousel_block$a460f608-a0ca-49e3-b020-ec6bc1b221d7",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":629,"primary":630,"id":665,"slice_type":83,"slice_label":11},[],{"heading":631,"body":632},"Challenges",[633,638,641,645,648,652,655,659,662],{"type":528,"text":634,"spans":635,"direction":71},"Visibility & coherence: ",[636],{"start":25,"end":637,"type":173},22,{"type":68,"text":639,"spans":640,"direction":71},"Without a central vantage point, and with interventions happening across multiple spaces over more than 6 kilometres, many in the audience had only partial visibility and they could only experience specific fragments live. The need for screens to contextualise the show diluted the “live” experience – and many indicated that the sound systems were not strong enough for the verbal narrative to be followed in full.",[],{"type":528,"text":642,"spans":643,"direction":71},"Length & pacing: ",[644],{"start":25,"end":611,"type":173},{"type":68,"text":646,"spans":647,"direction":71},"The sprawling format resulted in a long show that some viewers found draining or directionless. Although this is a common challenge for Olympic Opening Ceremonies, whose central mission is to welcome athletes from over 205 nations, this was felt more acutely in Paris as the culture segments ran alongside the athletes parade from the start, rather than be concentrated as one specific and condensed segment in the proceedings.",[],{"type":528,"text":649,"spans":650,"direction":71},"Logistics & weather: ",[651],{"start":25,"end":603,"type":173},{"type":68,"text":653,"spans":654,"direction":71},"Rain impacted attendance comfort and technical execution; staging across multiple sites created logistical complexity; security and seating restrictions reduced access to 300,000 spectators from the initially planned 600,000. It is worth noting, however, that no other Olympic ceremony had ever reached out to so many live spectators – with stadia holding 50,000 to 90,000 people as a maximum.",[],{"type":528,"text":656,"spans":657,"direction":71},"Interpretation risks: ",[658],{"start":25,"end":625,"type":173},{"type":68,"text":660,"spans":661,"direction":71},"Provocative imagery in a public, highly visible space increased the potential for offence and controversy, leading to backlash and apologies.",[],{"type":68,"text":663,"spans":664,"direction":71},"The table below summarises the main topics being debated when judging the pros and cons of this ambitious ceremony format:",[],"text_block$cc89a672-bcb1-41b1-ab62-7f00f7f43698",{"variation":74,"version":75,"items":667,"primary":668,"id":740,"slice_type":83,"slice_label":11},[],{"heading":669,"body":670},"Going forwards… what is the legacy?",[671,674,677,682,688,693,696,699,702,707,710,713,716,719,721,738],{"type":68,"text":672,"spans":673,"direction":71},"The Paris Olympic Opening Ceremony sets an important precedent for future Games and raises critical questions about the purpose of staging highly symbolic spectacle to mark the start of globally significant sporting competitions.",[],{"type":68,"text":675,"spans":676,"direction":71},"This experience opens multiple areas of debate when it comes to conceiving future major and mega event openings:",[],{"type":68,"text":678,"spans":679,"direction":71},"The first is around formats: using the city itself as a stage has long been an ambition for cultural operators and artistic directors when asked to capture the essence of a city, a place and a time, translating this into a global spectacle with historical resonance. It is important to reflect about why capturing the essence of the place hosting a major event matters to so many. Analysts should appreciate the praise Paris received on this front, and how it compares with the kind of praise received by previous, stadium-hosted ceremonies. The overall conclusion is that, from a cultural significance and artistic innovation point of view, Paris went further than its predecessors and made the host city a protagonist in deeply meaningful ways.",[680],{"start":625,"end":681,"type":173},27,{"type":68,"text":683,"spans":684,"direction":71},"Another area relates to content: exploring diverse, arts-driven stories and making them enter mainstream narratives was another defining contribution of this ceremony. Paris made thematic choices that some considered challenging and the complexity of their staging added additional layers to how the stories told were experienced and understood. This ceremony had a narrative structure that defied convention as performances took place alongside the athletes parade, and performance locations were central to the story itself. Many in the arts world have praised the vision behind such narrative construct, but Games stakeholders – and sport commentators – were at times lost or felt negatively provoked.",[685],{"start":686,"end":687,"type":173},24,31,{"type":68,"text":689,"spans":690,"direction":71},"These two areas of discussion point at what could be considered the most important legacy of this ceremony: the realisation that mediation and interpretation is key to the success of iconic global spectacle if new formats are being attempted.",[691],{"start":692,"end":26,"type":173},129,{"type":68,"text":694,"spans":695,"direction":71},"For over a century, the core structure and format of Olympic opening ceremonies has been retained, with minimal variations. The ‘artistic’ or cultural component of the ceremony has been traditionally presented as part of a welcoming segment that comes to an end early in the proceedings, to give way to the parade of nations (or ‘athletes’ parade’), followed by the official speeches, raising of the Olympic flag, oaths and lighting of the cauldron. All of this is presented within the neat confines of a stadium and the main challenge, for organisers, is how to manage and maintain attention for the parade of more than 200 nations, which tends to expand over two hours.",[],{"type":68,"text":697,"spans":698,"direction":71},"Paris changed this format completely, by blending the athletes’ parade with the artistic programme thus placing its cultural and artistic narrative – as well as the city itself - at the heart of the full ceremony rather than as a brief introduction. Protocol segments, from the arrival of the Olympic flag to the lighting of the cauldron were a continuum of the artistic programme, with creatively conceived creatures and objects – a symbolic Jeanne d’Arc over a mechanical horse, a magnificent air balloon floating high over the city – taking over and transforming key aspects of Olympic protocol as well.",[],{"type":68,"text":700,"spans":701,"direction":71},"All of these creative decisions, and the critical role played by Paris landmarks throughout all of them, were carefully crafted by the creative team. However, those experiencing the show live and those narrating the show to media audiences live, had little time to prepare – and no previous referent whatsoever. While the average contemporary arts scene audience tends to welcome the unexpected, Olympic ceremony audiences – in particular, Olympic guests and Olympic partners – are used to established traditions and tend to read the value of the ceremony as part of a heritage continuum with previous editions. Sport audiences, sport commentators and key Games stakeholders (the Olympic family) give prime attention to the stories behind the athlete delegations rather than the artistic segments.",[],{"type":68,"text":703,"spans":704,"direction":71},"Managing expectations",[705],{"start":25,"end":706,"type":173},21,{"type":68,"text":708,"spans":709,"direction":71},"The level of artistic ambition and the complexity of the setting in Paris thus required a more detailed introduction and preparation. Olympic stakeholders and spectators were told about the unique opportunity to experience an Olympic ceremony across the river Seine. But few were prepared for the many layers of narrative that ensued – and the extraordinary wealth of locations with unique heritage taking centre stage, simultaneously. (Not to mention the extreme weather).",[],{"type":68,"text":711,"spans":712,"direction":71},"The ultimate question remains: how will future Olympic ceremony hosts balance their capacity for openness, inclusivity with that of accessibility and control; how will they balance artistic vision with operational feasibility; and how much encouragement will they receive to continue innovating and reimagining what is possible as opposed to the desire to follow established traditions and recognised formats?",[],{"type":68,"text":714,"spans":715,"direction":71},"Paris 2024 reimagined the Olympic Opening Ceremony not as a spectacle confined to a stadium, but as a city-wide act of cultural storytelling. It was bold, resonant, and globally visible — yet operationally fragile. Its legacy may not lie in offering a definitive new model, but in opening space for future hosts to question the balance between tradition and innovation, control and openness, ceremony and spectacle. In doing so, Paris has shifted expectations: the Opening Ceremony is no longer just an introduction to the Games, but a powerful cultural stage in its own right — one that challenges organisers, audiences, and the Olympic movement to rethink what is possible.",[],{"type":68,"text":717,"spans":718,"direction":71},"",[],{"type":68,"text":717,"spans":720,"direction":71},[],{"type":68,"text":722,"spans":723,"direction":71},"Dr Beatriz Garcia, Chair, Walk the Plank and International expert on mega events, cities & culture | LinkedIn | Website | Author Euphoric Cities",[724,725,726,730,735],{"start":25,"end":226,"type":167},{"start":25,"end":226,"type":173},{"start":727,"end":202,"type":156,"data":728},101,{"link_type":158,"url":729,"target":160},"https:\u002F\u002Feur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\u002F?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdrbgarcia%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0307f279a8b24d3656a508de84051a9e%7Cb6db2c8aea474ff38cc0ebad187c4be4%7C1%7C0%7C639093354634009938%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oitpEOlaZXP3GL0uEMparhdF5%2FO6nBX7MDe%2FSp7OSSE%3D&reserved=0",{"start":731,"end":732,"type":156,"data":733},112,119,{"link_type":158,"url":734,"target":160},"https:\u002F\u002Feur02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\u002F?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.beatrizgarcia.net%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C0307f279a8b24d3656a508de84051a9e%7Cb6db2c8aea474ff38cc0ebad187c4be4%7C1%7C0%7C639093354634001790%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Lba06RO7%2FB4vd3YJ1Af%2BkbNkt%2B8sNklfdM%2FpdYCAwaQ%3D&reserved=0",{"start":692,"end":226,"type":156,"data":736},{"link_type":158,"url":737,"target":160},"https:\u002F\u002Fdrbeatrizgarcia.substack.com\u002F",{"type":68,"text":717,"spans":739,"direction":71},[],"text_block$5c3a92d5-6be3-4ac3-a4ad-837ac6d75874","Reimagining Olympic spectacle: the city as event multivenue",[743],{"entry":744},{"link_type":52},{"dimensions":746,"alt":747,"copyright":11,"url":748,"id":749,"edit":750,"meta":752},{"width":8,"height":9},"A large, majestic courthouse and prison in the Gothic Revival style featuring 2 large round turrets at the forefront and windows of various sizes set against a grey afternoon sky. Actors dressed in red gowns perform from the windows above, while actors in black line the street below. Red streamers are being fired from the ground.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FaaAegcFoBIGEg2qK_Image1-.png?auto=format,compress&rect=161,0,959,719&w=4000&h=3000","aaAegcFoBIGEg2qK",{"x":751,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},161,{"dimensions":753,"alt":747,"copyright":11,"url":754,"id":749,"edit":755},{"width":21,"height":22},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FaaAegcFoBIGEg2qK_Image1-.png?auto=format,compress&rect=0,24,1280,672&w=1200&h=630",{"x":25,"y":686,"zoom":27,"background":18},"Dr Beatriz Garcia discuses how best to utilise cities and public space as iconic and meaningful platforms to stage major events and ceremonial occasions.",{"dimensions":758,"alt":747,"copyright":11,"url":759,"id":749,"edit":760,"portrait":762},{"width":8,"height":30},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FaaAegcFoBIGEg2qK_Image1-.png?auto=format,compress&rect=135,0,1009,719&w=4000&h=2850",{"x":761,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},135,{"dimensions":763,"alt":747,"copyright":11,"url":764,"id":749,"edit":765},{"width":30,"height":8},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.prismic.io\u002Fwalktheplank\u002FaaAegcFoBIGEg2qK_Image1-.png?auto=format,compress&rect=384,0,512,719&w=2850&h=4000",{"x":766,"y":25,"zoom":27,"background":18},384,[768],{"link":769,"label":11,"logo":770},{"link_type":275},{},[772],{"newsTag":773},{"id":44,"type":45,"tags":774,"lang":47,"slug":48,"first_publication_date":49,"last_publication_date":49,"uid":48,"link_type":52,"key":775,"isBroken":54},[],"8596485f-ac91-40b2-a1bc-eb627b1798fe",[777],{"id":44,"postDate":49,"type":45,"uid":48,"title":51},"ahWdtxMAACUAxyQu","2026-05-28T08:43:44+0000",1785167630507]