10 things you might not know about "From Tiny Acorns” from The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant...
1. From Tiny Acorns is a celebration of rural traditions and symbols, such as the mighty oak tree and Maypole, as well as pride in our diverse communities. A cornucopia of animals & fruits was seen dancing around the maypole. The Queen’s face was surrounded by the rainbow flag with a field of pansies around her. EEA are supporting a campaign by Jubilee LGBTQI Commonwealth Appeal — GiveOut promoting the rights of LGBTQI people in the Commonwealth.
2. “From tiny acorns, mighty oaks grow” and we saw many beautiful tiny acorns of the Royal Family were on display for all to see over the weekend! We are also planning to take “From Tiny Acorns” around the country to help grow creative communities in the future.
3. The float was created by Emergency Exit Arts. The team of artists and volunteers have spent over 3 months working on this piece at Rothbury Hall in Greenwich, from creating the internal and external structures of the branches and trunk to cutting and painting the leaves.
4. The costumes were created by Mandinga Arts. Some of the costumes were 20-year-old designs and were restored by Julieta Rubio specially for this project. The costumes represent the flora, fauna, and diversity of the UK and Commonwealth.
5. Rhythms of the City provided the music, playing funky renditions of British tunes from Madness to Tommy Steele to Mighty Sparrow.
6. The 18m long blue mural of The Queen painted on the ribbons was created by the artist, Dream Safari, in an empty warehouse.
7. The rainbow ribbons are a global symbol celebrating the diversity of human sexuality and gender. Here it also represents the variety of communities in the UK.
8. Over 200 performers wore Mandinga Arts costumes and giant puppets and came from across the UK. With over 15 nationalities, ages ranging from 6-84 years, and participants coming from Northern Ireland, Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Southend, Preston, London, and many more, this was a celebration of the creative community spirit in the UK.
9. Did you see Prince Louis mouthing “strawberries” whilst sitting on Prince Charles’ lap during our performance?
10. The From Tiny Acorns flag was created by Flag Warriors and painted by artist and performer Otavio Avancini. The flag came all the way from Brazil and represents what From Tiny Acorns is all about: diversity, community, and love.
