Chaz - East London
For this year’s Hackney One, the Championing Artists involved devised a performance section around ‘Chaz’ the East London Champion.
She is a new arrival, a small young girl from the moon who arrives in Hackney in the summer of 2009. Through her eyes she sees Hackney for the first time and the wonders of Hackney are brought to life in the costumes designed and made by the participants. This colourful New Moon in Hackney procession will be accompanied by the vibrant pulsating sound and movement of the Kinetika Bloco. We are creating a new collection of 11 individual costumes and 60 dance costumes plus 90 musician costumes.
The designs created by the Championing Artists followed a theme in four parts:
1. Hackney, the past and the people who live and work here now.
2. Hackney In Transition - Two characters that represented forces, which have the power to change the future of Hackney and the 5 boroughs.
3. In Between Worlds – Chaz’s World and Hackney.
4. Chaz’s World - The Starship - Chaz landed on a star.
This year, the Kinetika Bloco (9 years old and 97 young people strong) once again charmed the streets of Hackney with their 2009 presentation, Fascination! Filled with spectacular new costumes, music and choreography, The Kinetika Bloco drew its influences from the Caribbean, Brazil, West and Southern Africa, India and New Orleans Jazz.
In addition, there were 40 young masqueraders from our Southwark Summer Uni summer School joining in the Procession, and 18 performers from the Championing Artists Training will also join the line up. Totalling Participants for the Event - 158.
