Luca Silvestrini's Protein Presents EN ROUTE TO COMMON GROUND

Luca Silvestrini's Protein invites audiences to Greenwich+Docklands International Festival to take part in a collective journey from Woolwich Common to Royal Arsenal Riverside, accompanied along the way by dance, live music and storytelling.

En Route to Common Ground will move through the streets and iconic public spaces of Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, where the audience will discover and be surprised by elements of performance set against and interacting with the surroundings and the landscapes of the route.

Alongside the dancers and musicians from Protein, an ensemble of community performers will spring up along the way to perform snippets of dance and music. Groups taking part include: a youth group from Tramshed, members of Some Voices Choir, members of the Caribbean Social Forum and a group of adults who have been gathered by Protein specifically for the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival performances.

Audiences will meet at Woolwich Common and be guided in small groups by a performer encountering nature as they go. As they continue their journeys, the groups and performers meet and merge, gathering momentum as they pass through the 19th century St George's Garrison Church and onwards to the town centre in a crescendo of protest and revelry. Finally, they arrive at Royal Arsenal Riverside for a joyful celebration.

En Route was originally performed in Woolwich in 2021, the company is returning to connect people and places in its home borough following the success of (In)visible Dancing 2019, performed with over 150 local participants in Woolwich Town Centre. En Route was made with local people whose stories and experiences informed the making of the show, and En Route to Common Ground will further enhance its sense of locality with the inclusion of community participants.

Luca Silvestrini said, "It's exciting to come back and further develop Protein's latest outdoor piece as part of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival. En Route to Common Ground is not just a performance to attend, but an opportunity to experience connectivity and we have chosen walking as a way of rebuilding and refreshing our relationships with people and the environments in which we live in. We look forward to journeying through Woolwich with local and less local members of the public."

Formed in 1997 and one of the most distinctive voices in British dance theatre, Luca Silvestrini's Protein uses a blend of original choreography, social commentary and music to entertain and provoke audiences. The company's idiosyncratic dance theatre is inspired by the everyday and its repertoire includes the award-winning LOL (lots of love), which has toured extensively since its 2011 debut, Border Tales, which peels back stereotypes about multicultural Britain, and the award-winning family show The Little Prince. Protein won Best Independent Dance Company at the Critic's Circle National Dance Awards 2011 and was again nominated in the same category in 2016. Earlier this year, Protein was awarded a Civic Award for Arts and Entertainment from the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

A promenade experience, En Route to Common Ground aims to be inclusive, respectful and a safe place for everyone. Friendly volunteers will be on hand to help, assistance dogs are welcome, and wheelchair accessible routes are available. British Sign Language and Live Audio Description will be available on Sunday 4 September. For access information please visit https://festival.org/gdif/access-at-gdif/.

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