There is no need to travel far to be part of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF), London’s largest and most ambitious annual festival of free outdoor arts and spectacle – it’s right here. This year GDIF breaks new ground with visual storytelling on an epic scale, pioneering text-based theatre on the street and site-specific outdoor dance set against the backdrop of pre-Olympic London.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich will also host the World Premiere of Crow, a powerful new dance theatre production from Handspring Puppet Company UK, renowned for the puppetry in the National Theatre production of War Horse, as they breathe new life into Ted Hughes’ celebrated Crow poems. This is particularly special as it is both GDIF’s first indoor show, and because it will be seen at the stunning Bourough Hall at Greenwich Dance, bringing this fantastic venue right into the heart of the Festival. Co-commissioned by the Royal Borough of Greenwich and London 2012 Festival, Crow promises to be one of London’s hottest tickets this summer. Information on how to book at www.festival.org.

Local participation is a key aim of this year’s Festival with opportunities to get involved like never before! Prometheus Awakes, a spectacular production, at the Royal Museums Greenwich (National Maritime Museum) on 22 June, which is being created by Britain’s leading disabled theatre company Graeae and Catalan masters of spectacular staging, La Fura dels Baus and features local volunteer performers 20 metres in the air. Local volunteers will also play a key role in hosting visitors to the two day Greenwich Fair, which features a host of free outdoor arts performances as well as an opportunity to learn about the history of the original and notorious 19th Century Greenwich Fair through the brand new Greenwich Fair Voices programme.

Greenwich Fair Voices will recruit 30 specially trained volunteers who will be briefed by local historians and experts in all facets of Dickensian Greenwich from food to architecture, and will hand out gadgets popular during the 19th Century such as false noses and scratchers (which tricked tightly corseted Victorian visitors into thinking that their garments had split!). Historic maps and information boards at the Festival will also draw attention to Greenwich’s heritage as a festive destination.

The Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich and Cockpits Arts have come together to showcase Made in London, a range of specially created designer crafts inspired by the Jubilee, Olympics and London. Following the successful collaboration between the leading visitor attraction and the acclaimed designer makers in 2011, this new range of products includes ceramics, textiles, jewellery and more with prices all under £50.  The Made in London collection will be showcased in the Shop at the ONRC throughout the summer as London marks the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and hosts the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) can trace its Royal roots back to Tudor times when Queen Elizabeth I was born in Greenwich Palace, the foundations of which lie beneath the 18th century buildings of Sir Christopher Wren’s twin domed riverside masterpiece. The ORNC will mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II on 3 June with one of the UK’s largest street parties and a day of celebratory activities presented in partnership with the Big Lunch, Start and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Meanwhile, from late July Greenwich Park, beside the ORNC, will host the Equestrian Events for the London Olympics. Taking these two landmark events as their inspiration Cockpit Arts designer-makers offer Gold, Silver and Bronze, “Olympic” bowls, Jubilee purses, horse and crown tea-lights, ‘Best in Show” rosettes and even a “sew your own pony” kit.

• Local community and visitors invited to join the fun, free event
• Bring a picnic lunch or buy food at the global and local food stalls
• Free live entertainment, drop-in workshops on sustainable living and special events
• Starting at mid-day, the event will culminate in the passing of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant at around 5pm.

Details of The Big Jubilee Lunch with Start and the Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) and the Royal Borough of Greenwich, were announced today, 1 May 2012. Celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this one day free event will feature one of the UK’s biggest street parties - with a table seating up to 800 people at any one time - together with a wide range of activities including live entertainment by local and community performers, drop-in workshops, food and craft stalls, a big screen and more. Up to 8,000 local residents and visitors are expected to join the fun, bringing their own picnic to be enjoyed either on the lawns or on a massive table running the full length of ORNC site. Alternatively, for people not wanting to bring their own picnic, global and local food stalls will offer a wide range of hot and cold dishes complemented by specialist beers from the Meantime Brewing. The day will also see the opening of Start Imagining’s From Tip to Ship exhibition in the Discover Greenwich Visitor Centre, featuring the 6 winning designs from a nationwide children’s competition, and it will culminate in the passing of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

The Greenwich Summer Festival will mark Greenwich as one of the most culturally vibrant places to be this summer, running from the 4 July to 12 August and offering audiences from across London and beyond the chance to experience world-class entertainment.

Highlights include Dance GB which will feature all three of the UK's national dance companies performing contemporary dance inspired by the Olympic Games and the hugely popular Greenwich Comedy Festival with its customary collection of big name comedians inclusing Dylan Moran, Sean Lock, Reginald D Hunter and Milton Jones.

The diverse programme of music will include folk legend Martin Carthy and a Bollywood Brass Band, while the Big Screen will show the competition results of the Olympic Games during the day and open-air film screenings for lazy summer evenings.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinbrugh came to the Royal Borough of Greenwich to officially reopen the Cutty Sark following extensive conservation, celebrate the 75th anniversary of the National Maritime Museum and the opening of the Royal River exhibition. School children from the across the Royal Borough of Greenwich sang a specially composed piece of music, having taken part in weekly rehearsals with vocal leaders from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

SAVE THE DATE

Start, The Old Royal Naval College (ORNC) and the Big Jubilee Lunch are working in partnership to bring you ….

‘A big day of fun, food and inspiration’.

To celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee join up to 10,000 local residents and Londoners and take part in one of the biggest street parties ever!

DATE: Sunday, 3rd June 2012

TIME: 12h00 – 17h00

LOCATION: The Old Royal Naval College – Greenwich

A community celebration! Come and join us in one of Britain’s biggest Jubilee street parties. Enjoy your lunch at the longest ever lunch table (two-thirds of a mile) while you experience the sounds of local live entertainment and enjoy the inspiring market stalls with a range of food, crafts and vintage paraphernalia. An opportunity to learn about brilliant sustainable living ideas through creative interactive workshops and there is fun for the little ones with free Start Imagining sessions.

For more information please visit www.startuk.org, www.ornc.org and www.thebiglunch.com.

The final Lunchtime Schubertiad showcased the refined Swiss pianist Francesco Piemontesi as he performed two of Schubert's Sonatas in A major, the 'Little' Sonata D664 and one of his three late piano works composed in 1828, D959.

Francesco Piemontesi (piano)

Schubert: Sonata in A major, D664 Sonata in A major, D959.

If you missed the evening or would like to recap on the concert, you can listen to Francesco Piemontesi's full performance until 7 April 2012 at http://bbc.in/HtuAdz

In the evening, Sean Rafferty presented and drew BBC Radio 3's celebration to a close with a special Schubert edition of BBC Radio 3's In Tune live from the Chapel at the ORNC. With live performances and recorded music, guests included pianist Graham Johnson who brought together Robin Tritschler (tenor), Marcus Farnsworth (baritone) and Joy Farrall (clarinet) to perform some of Schubert's most enigmatic lieder.

Those lucky to obtain tickets were also given the chance to hear the stellar lineup of Imogen Cooper (piano), Katharine Gowers (violin), Krzysztof Chorzelski (viola), Adrian Brendel (cello) and Enno Senft (double bass) perform Piano Quintet in A, D667 "The Trout", the Trio in E flat, D897 "Notturno" and the Sonata (Duo) in A, D574.

If you missed the evening or would like to recap on the concert, you can listen to BBC Radio 3's In Tune until 7 April 2012 at http://bbc.in/HzTQNl

The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) released the 2011 attendance figures today, 5 March 2012, which show that the ORNC was the 11th most popular visitor attraction in the UK - up 4 places from last year.

Sir Christopher Wren’s iconic buildings on the banks of the Thames include range of attractions including the beautiful chapel of St Peter and St Paul, and the stunning Painted Hall, which has become known to millions of people internationally through movies such The Pirates of the Caribbean and The Iron Lady. Also part of the Old Royal Naval College is Discover Greenwich a fascinating, state of the art visitor centre which provides the ideal introduction to the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.

“This is terrific news,” says Brendan McCarthy, Chief Executive of the ORNC. “We have been working hard to spread the word about the great visitor experience we offer at the Old Royal Naval College.” “Increasing awareness of all that the ORNC has to offer to Greenwich residents has been a particular priority for us,” adds McCarthy, “so we are especially pleased to have seen a 44% increase in attendance by local families and young people over the last twelve months.”

2012 is a big year for the Royal Borough of Greenwich with the forthcoming Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the Olympic equestrian events in the park expected to attract thousands of visitors to South East London. The Old Royal Naval College will host a major programme of events running throughout the summer including London 2012/Cultural Olympiad performances such as Dance GB and the BT River of Music.

Further details of the ORNC’s Jubilee and Olympic summer events programmes will be released in the coming weeks. For full information on all the attractions and events at the Old Royal Naval College visit. www.ornc.org

Yesterday the iconic Olympic rings floated down the river Thames passing major London landmarks including the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Marking 150 days to the start of the Olympic Games the Mayor of London also announced further details of the cultural events to be staged this summer including Britain Creates 2012, which will be launched at the ORNC in late June.

The British Fashion Council/Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation confirmed nine fashion designer and artist collaborations for the hotly anticipated Britain Creates 2012. A who's who of leading British names in art and fashion will see Hussein Chalayan working with Gavin Turk; Giles Deacon with Jeremy Deller; Mary Katrantzou and Mark Titchner; Nicolas Kirkwood and Simon Periton; Peter Pilotto and Francis Upritchard; Jonathan Saunders and Jess Flood-Paddock; Paul Smith and Charming Baker; and Matthew Williamson and Mat Collishaw, Stephen Jones and Cerith Wyn Evans. More names are expected to join this outstanding roll call of British creative talent, with their unique collaborative projects set to be unveiled at a gala event at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich before going on display at the V&A.

“We are delighted to be hosting this prestigious celebration of cutting edge creativity, innovation, and world class design,” says Brendan McCarthy Chief Executive of the Old Royal Naval College. “This amazing showcase will be an undoubted highlight of a packed programme events here at the Old Royal Naval College marking the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games.”

Simon Elliott, Production Designer of The Iron Lady, said "The Painted Hall in Greenwich is a magnificent space and we went there because it has that scale and operatic feel."