Paralympic Flame Celebration
Flame, the finale by The World Famous and Shared Space and Light
Residents of Aylesbury Vale celebrated Stoke Mandeville, as the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement, on 28 August 2012 in Aylesbury Town Centre
Leading up to the 28 August, four separate flames were lit at events in London, Greater Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff. The four UK Flames were then united to create the London 2012 Paralympic Flame at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the spiritual home of the Paralympic Movement.
Two spectacular celebrations took place at Stoke Mandeville Stadium and Aylesbury Town Centre, whilst the 24 hour Paralympic Torch Relay began.
Paralympic Flame Celebration - Tuesday 28 August 2012
Aylesbury Town Centre
In a fusion of fire, light, song and dance, Aylesbury celebrated the Paralympic Torch as it started the journey to London
A fantastic free event was held in Aylesbury Town Centre to mirror the Flame Lighting Ceremony at Stoke Mandeville Stadium. The event was organised by AVDC and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England .www.artscouncil.org.uk
In the spirit of the Paralympic Games, AVDC and Buckinghamshire Disability Service (BuDS) ensured that people with disabilities were included in this once-in-a-lifetime event by giving them exclusive access to premier viewing areas in Market Square and Kingsbury. Tickets for the viewing areas were allocated through a ballot process. Facilities included a hearing loop, a level trackway over the cobbles in Market Square, a BSL interpreter, dedicated accessible toilets and ample free parking for Blue Badge holders.
The entertainment started from 10am and included activities, London 2012 Inspire Mark performances and local community performances.
Live footage of the official flame lighting ceremony at Stoke Mandeville Stadium was shown on large screens from 5.30pm. Alongside, live entertainment on the stage in Kingsbury included top UK folk artist Eliza Carthy and internationally renowned solo-voice ensemble I Fagiolini. They were joined by a community choir in performing Welcome Songs, specifically written in celebration of London 2012 and led by I Fagiolini director, Robert Hollingworth.
Starting Line, a performance inspired by the spirit and vision of Paralympic athletes was performed by disabled and able-bodied young people from around the globe, performers from Candoco Dance Company and disabled artist Rachel Gadsden to a crowd of over 5,000 people in Market Square.
The Paralympic Torch left Stoke Mandeville Stadium later than planned and got to Market Square at 10pm, where it signalled the finale of the town centre event.
The spectacular finale, Flame, combined 3D video projection, fire beacons, music and top quality pyrotechnics to make the event close in a crescendo. The finale was led by internationally renowned arts organisations The World Famous and Shared Space and Light.
A film and photo gallery of the event are available to watch at the bottom of the page. The Commemorative Programme is available to download at the bottom of this page.
This event was part of Accentuate, the London 2012 Legacy Programme for the South East. Accentuate has been funded by Legacy Trust UK, creating a lasting impact from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games by funding ideas and local talent to inspire creativity across the UK, SEEDA and the Regional Cultural Agencies. The home of Accentuate is Screen South.
Date Updated: 25/01/13
Downloads:
File name | Summary | File size / Download time | File Format |
Adobe Acrobat Reader is available FREE of charge. You can download it directly from Adobe's website by clicking the link to the right. Once on Adobe's website, follow the instructions on screen to install the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader. |  |
Commemorative Programme | | 3.3MB
56Kbps Modem: 8 Minutes
Broadband : Less than 1 Minute | 
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Flame Celebration Leaflet | | 1MB
56Kbps Modem: 2 Minutes 32 Seconds
Broadband : Less than 1 Minute |
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Paralympic Music Leaflet | | 651KB
56Kbps Modem: 1 Minute 34 Seconds
Broadband : Less than 1 Minute |
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