Covent Garden Pictures

Celebrating our history and heritige.

A short film aboput the 2014 Covent Garden Festival.

A candle was lit by 7 year old Tatika Dicker on the 9th November 2014 – for the future.

FESTIVAL

On the 9th of November 1974 the Old Covent Garden Market closed completely and reopened on Monday 11th November 1974 in Nine Elms.

On the 9th of November 2014, we marked the Old Market’s closure with an inaugural Covent Garden 40th Anniversary Festival.

The Music Festival and Celebration was at St Paul’s ‘the Actors’ Church’ on the evenings of November 8th and 9th.

Our plan for the inaugural Covent Garden 40th Anniversary Festival was simply to lay the first solid foundations capable of supporting more ambitious events in the future.

In commercial terms 2014 was a test market. Our primary purpose was both practical and pragmatic. It was to demonstrate the validity of the idea itself and to provide incontrovertible ‘proof of concept’ for future events.

We wanted our performers to feel acknowledged and appreciated.

We wanted our Sponsors to feel satisfied that they would be part of a successful and worthwhile experiment, which will grow both in popularity and profitability year on year - ideally in perpetuity!

As for us, as Organisers we see ourselves as part of the stream of History.

We were determined to mark the 40th Anniversary in an appropriately imaginative manner.

Our creative objective for 2014 was simply to deliver a programme that people recommend to their family and friends for their calendar in the future.

Our vision was for an original portfolio of a few core events – they included:

The Celebration at St Paul’s Church

An Exhibition of A1 canvasses, 40 chosen to mark The Festival from my collection of original Photographs of the Old Covent Garden Market 1972 - 1973 - held throughout last August at Freud 198 Shaftesbury Avenue - Their blog can be seen at www.freud.eu.com in the News section.

Two Musical Events reflecting a range of genres including Opera, Pop, Folk and Jazz.

Performance Art: Three Poems written and read by Reg Starkey.

In addition we look in the future to the participation of the New Generation of Market ‘Traders’ in individually inspired ‘Fringe Activity’ adding value to their retail business or hospitality offering throughout the life of the Festival.

In our own pursuit of inaugural excellence our business objective for the first Festival was limited to covering our costs rather producing a profit.

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Saturday 8th November 2014

Sean de Burca: Main website

Annie Lees: Main website

Elektra: Live video. Main website

The Paul Dunton Orchestra. Live videos. Main website.

Sunday 9th November 2014

Darcy

Susie Self: Main website

The Rad Orchestra: Main website and videos.

The Paul Dunton Orchestra. Live videos. Main website.