RWC2015 arts projects win Lottery funding

Two art projects celebrating the Rugby World Cup 2015 coming to Exeter have won grants from the National Lottery.

The projects showcase the cultures of the visiting nations – Namibia, Tonga, Romania, Italy and Georgia – through film and performance.

Both successfully secured Grants for the Arts from the National Lottery through Arts Council England for Rugby World Cup 2015 projects. They are also being funded by Exeter City Council

"Culture, Data, Projector" is a film project developed by Exeter based production company Fabian’s Film. The project will explore the idea of sport through culture, identity, and the environment of each of the five nations taking part in the Exeter Rugby World Cup matches. Five commissioned Artist-Filmmakers will collaborate with Met Office Scientists to make a series of documentary films which use data as part of their narrative. The films will be created in partnership with The Met Office, Exeter City Council, Exeter College and the Open Data Institute.

The Rugby World Cup Spectacular, also funded by England 2015, is a massive parade project led by Manchester-based Walk the Plank, internationally renowned outdoor arts experts, who will create a vibrant costumed parade with large makes and music working with five Exeter schools and Exeter College.

The project will employ teams combining nationally renowned celebratory artists with local artists and enable students from University of Exeter’s Drama and Education courses to get on the job training. The theme for costumes and the music is the cultural traditions of the five visiting nations. The parade will take place at lunchtime on Saturday 10 October, it will assemble in Cathedral Yard and process along the High Street into the Fanzone for a finale. Walk the Plank will return to the Fanzone on Saturday 31 October to provide a finale to Exeter’s participation in Rugby World Cup 2015.

Cllr Rosie Denham, Lead Councillor for Economy and Culture, said: “This is great news for the two projects. I’m sure between them they will bring energy, colour and vibrancy to the city during this fantastic sporting event. Rugby World Cup 2015 is definitely about more than what goes on on the pitch and this is perfectly demonstrated with these intitiatives.”