Published: Friday, 30th June 2017

A special preview of what's in store is being showcased until 8 July.

The innovative Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) team have joined up with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Visit Greenwich and the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust to present 'All Roads Lead to Woolwich', a series of pop-up world class music, dance and street arts performances taking place across Woolwich from 6 to 8 July.

First steps towards a Creative District

Funded by the Arts Council's Cultural Destinations initiative, 'All Roads Lead to Woolwich' also marks the first of many exciting steps towards bringing to life a new Creative District for London with live performance spaces, theatres and restaurants opening in five historic buildings in the heart of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

When the Creative District is complete, it will offer over 16,500 square metres of usable space - comparable to the size and scale of London's renowned Southbank Centre.

Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Councillor Denise Hyland said, "All Roads Lead to Woolwich marks the town's first steps on a momentous journey towards becoming a major, international cultural destination. I am delighted to see GDIF delivering such a wonderful programme of events and I encourage residents and visitors to see these enthralling performances and the beginning of something truly very special."

Making Royal Greenwich a cultural hub

Bradley Hemmings, Artistic Director of GDIF said, "From its strong military connections and the rich history of the Royal Arsenal to its legacy as a host of the international Tall Ships Regattas, Woolwich is a special and unique place. GDIF is proud to deliver its 'All Roads Lead to Woolwich' programme here as the finale to our festival."

Joyce Wilson, London Area Director, Arts Council England, added, "We are proud to support Visit Greenwich, the Royal Borough of Greenwich and GDIF as they embark on this exciting journey towards making the Royal Borough of Greenwich a destination cultural hub for London."

Unique venues with exceptional acoustics

Originally housing cartridges with flammable substances, the Old Ammunitions Factory (Building 41) was constructed to have as much natural light as possible with a semi-vaulted glass ceiling. The nature of the building's size and roof structure means that when it was first being assessed as a performance space, tests revealed an exceptional acoustic for classical and non-amplified music include large symphony orchestras.

As part of the major investment in the Woolwich Creative District, the venue will be extensively restored to seat 1,200 in a conventional concert format, but with many other variations of layouts possible. It will also be a highly versatile space with a standing capacity of 2,200.

Performance programme

The Old Ammunitions Factory will be the focal point of 'All Roads Lead to Woolwich' with the Arensky Chamber Orchestra presenting 'Aulenko: The Sound Forest', an innovative programme of music in which the musicians will be dispersed in different locations across the former munitions factory on Thursday 6 July at 8pm.

A magical 'Colour of Light' show on the 8 July with luminous colour-wheels rolling through the streets of Woolwich will close 'All Roads Lead to Woolwich' in a rainbow-coloured celebration of inclusivity and diversity.

Have your say on Woolwich Creative District

The Royal Borough of Greenwich will be consulting with residents and organisations interested in the Woolwich Creative District. Complete our questionnaire and be entered into our competition for free tickets to a performance at the 02 Arena.

There will also be a friendly and welcoming team will be on-hand throughout 'All Roads Lead to Woolwich' to discuss any questions residents or interested parties may have about the Woolwich Creative District.