This June, splashes of culture and colour in all shades of the rainbow are set to adorn the Canary Wharf estate in celebration of LGBTQIA+ culture and Pride month. Inviting all ages to participate in a wide range of activities guaranteed to inspire, entertain and educate, Canary Wharf is set to celebrate love like nowhere else in the Capital.
Kaleidoscopic Prisms, Fiona Grady, Jubilee Place Atrium
British-born artist Fiona Grady will be taking over Jubilee Place atrium with a spectacular window design titled, Kaleidoscopic Prisms. Inspired by the energetic colours of the Pride flag and combined with the use of triangular shapes that dance across the glass, Grady’s work depicts London as an inclusive city; accepting everyone as they are. As the sun shines through the atrium, visitors will find themselves walking through the kaleidoscope, transporting them to a technicolour dream world.
Proudly Together, Rebecca Strickson, Cubitt Steps
Proudly Together, is an imaginative rainbow-river work by Rebecca Strickson that will wrap around Canary Wharf’s Cubitt Steps. Each of the Pride flags will be brought to life, representing everyone as an equal and irrespective of sexuality. Proudly Together takes a fresh look at the serious subject of love and serves as a deep reminder of the strive for equality.
Rainbow Steps, Reuters & Riverside Steps
The celebrations will see several vibrant art installations explode with colour across the Estate, including the return of the rainbow makeover of the Reuters Steps. Situated beside the entrance of the Canary Wharf Station (Jubilee line), the steps will welcome visitors with a radiance of joy in honour of Pride.
Short Story Stations: Pride Takeover
Canary Wharf’s Short Story Stations are set to have three new bespoke stories by a selection of the UK’s most exciting LGBTQIA+ authors wishing to celebrate and shine a light on the queer community and the difficulties those in it face every day. Authored by Juliet Jacques, ‘A Quiet Afternoon’ will be available through the one-minute button, while Okechukwu Nzelu’s tale ‘Arrival’ is written to be read in three minutes. By clicking the five-minute button readers can enjoy Kirsty Logan’s ‘The Other Mother’.
Summer Family Festival: Pride – Drag Storytime, Crossrail Place Roof Garden
Part of the Summer Family Festival, CLIP Theatre will introduce an interactive story session with professional musicians, puppetry and bubbles, all hosted by their resident Drag Queen. Expect kids’ imaginations to be sparked in this enjoyable yet enriching experience for little ones.
Lucie Moore, Group Arts + Events Manager at Canary Wharf comments: “We’re pleased to host this array of activities celebrating love and inclusivity for Pride month. Art plays a crucial role on the Estate and is ingrained in our DNA; we believe in its power to create a sense of space and belonging – something that is reiterated by all the works on display.
“Similarly, the aim of each of the activities on offer is to echo a sense of community, and so whether it’s admiring the multicoloured Reuters Plaza steps or settling into a story told by a glamorous Drag Queen there’s a feeling of enjoyment and enlightenment for all.”
The Pride celebrations form part of Canary Wharf’s wider summer events programme. The included artworks are some of the latest additions to the Estate’s public art collection which is the UK’s largest collections of public art that is free to visit, with more than 75 permanent works by over 50 world-renowned artists and craftsmen.
Canary Wharf is committed to keeping the malls and wider Estate Covid secure. COVID-19 safety measures, such as one-way systems and floor markings, as well as increased cleaning, and hand sanitizers at all entrance points, remain in place throughout.
