‘Thaw’ awes Docklands spectators
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Published
30 August 2024
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A two-and-a-half tonne block of ice dangled over the Thames, performers moving precariously atop it to the strains of meditative music.
The performance art piece, ‘Thaw’, drew crowds to the University of East London on August 24 and 25 as part of the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival (GDIF).
Performed by Australian physical theatre company Legs on the Wall, Thaw was developed by the company’s artistic director, Joshua Thompson, in response to Australia’s devastating bushfires of 2019/20. It’s a powerful statement on climate change, he said.
Mr Thompson said, “I made this show in a moment where I wanted to do something positive, bring attention to the global conversation of the environment, climate change. I think the biggest thing is that this show is the starting point of imagining another future. I really believe in creativity being a key part of the answers that we need to find. The core of the concept is really that it’s everyone up on that ice, that ice is our planet, and we have to find a better way of working with it.”
He continued, “Being in a university space where sustainability is key, where there are programmes and people are thinking about it, our work sits really lovely here.
“Being over the Thames is massive because the Thames has been a space where the industry has come from, a birthplace of the journey that we've been on so far. It feels very special, the connection between that and the future, and the innovation needed for the climate discussion to be shifted and changed.”
The giant block of ice was suspended on a crane high above the Thames, with aerial performers moving on, over and around it for several hours. As the ice melted away, the movements became more and more urgent. Previous performances have taken place in New Zealand and in Australia, where the ice hung near Sydney’s iconic Opera House. Legs on the Wall performs Thaw in Antwerp, Belgium this week.
The crowd at UEL on Saturday included Kyra Lui, a recent graduate of Goldsmiths, University of London.
Gazing up at the ice, she said, "I don't even know how I can describe it. I don't want to use the word weird, but it's kind of weird. To see people sitting on ice, dancing, and hanging at this height above the water, is just crazy.
She continued, "I feel like people are not aware, they're just not aware of the whole climate change thing, in our generation. Some people just don’t care. I feel we need performances like this to raise everybody’s awareness.”
Thaw’s appearance at the Greenwich and Docklands International Festival was sponsored by UEL and the London Borough of Newham, both of which have strong records on sustainability.
UEL has threaded its sustainability efforts across core activities and dedicated itself to tackling the global climate crisis through research, course curriculum and innovative projects and initiatives, with priorities that align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The University seeks to create sustainable communities, fight climate change, reduce inequality and transform health and sustainable well-being. UEL has reduced its CO2 emissions more than any other modern university in London, with a goal of net zero carbon campuses by 2030.
At a pre-performance reception on Saturday at the University’s Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability, which launched in late 2023 and is rapidly becoming a major incubator of green sustainability and innovation, UEL Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dean Curtis and Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz OBE both noted that poorer populations, including in Newham, are disproportionately impacted by the adverse effects of climate change and that society urgently needs to find solutions.
Mr Curtis said, “The University of East London has a 126-year history in Newham, and our main focus is to ensure our education and research benefit the local community. We think globally, but we act locally. It's really through the environments we create and the actions we take that we as a university can stretch ourselves to demonstrate that impact. Ultimately climate change is not just an environmental issue, it's a profound social justice one.
“We all have a role to play and we all have the ability to have an impact, but we can't just talk, we must act. One of the key things as a university that we're trying to do is to instil a problem-solving mindset among our students when addressing the challenges of the future. We’re helping them become leaders in demonstrating how society can change.”
The 17-day Greenwich + Docklands International Festival runs through 8 September and offers more than 50 free events, including theatre, circus, dance and performance art across Greenwich, Newham and the City of London. This year’s theme is 'All Change', with the aim of celebrating change-making activism and artistic innovation, while reflecting global and local stories of transformation. See the GDIF programme for more details.
Bradley Hemmings MBE, Greenwich + Docklands Festival’s artistic director said, “We are delighted to partner with the University of East London and the London Borough of Newham to bring Legs On The Wall’s jaw-dropping call to action on climate change, Thaw, to Londoners.
“GDIF shares UEL’s belief that education and community are essential components in creating sustainable and positive changes on both a local and global scale. We’re very proud to be working with them on this extremely important project and, we hope, many more to come”