Big Things on the Beach would like to say a Big Thank You to everyone who made The Big Welcome such a successful and special day. On 24 July, literally thousands of people came to Portobello beach to celebrate the Big Welcome, an event in advance of the Cultural Olympiad. Some people made tablecloths to celebrate the theme of welcome, many of which celebrated people's international connections, to decorate the sea wall. Those who had not had time to create their cloths in advance of the event were helped by our team of artists to create one in situ. The creativity and thought put into all the tablecloths was quite inspiring. We are planning to show some of the most expressive as part of the Public Art Fest at the end of the month.
A portable football pitch, sumo wrestling suits and the library's story telling bus - which completely sold out of books - kept the young folk busy. Other entertainment included the Commotion women's samba band and Italian DJ Astormendez's eclectic music selection. For the energetic there was Zumba with Sabrina Forno and Scottish-based Italian band, Simone Caffari and the Badwills. Our own local and internationally acclaimed Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis had us dancing a Strip the Willow along the Prom and rounded a perfect day off with a celebration of friendship by getting people to join in with a rendition of Auld Lang Syne. The carnival atmosphere was added to by a local food market with delicious picnic goodies. On this day, Portobello beach and Prom felt like the only place you would want to be. Oh, and the weather helped slightly!
Many thanks are due to many people but we would particularly like to thank all the musicians and dancers, Northern Lights for their excellent service with the sound system, the Neighbourhood Partnership, the Council's Youth Service, Edinburgh Leisure, Edinburgh Libraries, and of course the people of Portobello, Edinburgh and beyond whose participation and enjoyment made this such a wonderful occasion.
Please add any photos you have to our group on Flickr!
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Big Things on the Beach is a public art trust in Portobello, a seaside suburb close to the city centre of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was formed by a group of residents in 2003 to explore the potential of the seafront as a site for engagement with public artworks by both emerging and established artists.
