report london2012.com
At 8.30pm tonight the Opening Ceremony will welcome the Paralympic Games back to the UK, following a 24-hour Torch Relay that saw the Paralympic Flame being lit in Stoke Mandeville – the spiritual home of the Paralympic Movement – before making its way to the Olympic Stadium in London.
The name of tonight’s Opening Ceremony is ‘Enlightenment’, which already provides some clues as to what can be expected. Co-Artistic Directors Jenny Sealey and Bradley Hemmings, who have worked together in outdoor theatre for a number of years, promise a spectacular celebration of the inspirational spirit of the Paralympic Games that challenges perceptions of human possibility.
The ceremony will open with a fly past by ‘Aerobility’, a British charity that trains disabled people to become pilots. Over the course of the evening, it will explore the power of ideas, science and creativity, supported by a cast of more than 3,000 adult volunteers, 100 child volunteers and more than 100 professional performers.
Key elements of every Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony will also feature tonight, including the Athletes' Parade, which will happen early on in the show, the raising of the Paralympic Flag, and the lighting of the Paralympic Cauldron.
In the UK, coverage of the Opening Ceremony will start on Channel 4 from 8pm tonight.
