THE “DAY OF THE DEAD” FESTIVAL BEGINS IN THE UK
LONDON, United Kingdom, 30th October 2014.- From today until the next 2nd November will be held at Oxo Tower Wharf a festival of cultural activities to commemorate the Day of the Dead in the capital city of the UK.
In order to share with the Mexican community and the British society the diversity of the cultural heritage of Mexico, its richness in history and profound traditional roots, the Ambassador of Mexico Diego Gomez-Pickering opened last night the programme of activities during a reception at Oxo Tower Wharf.
In that way, the audience will appreciate –as the centre piece- an altar (ofrenda) dedicated to the last two British heroes of World War I, as an intimation, which decoration will be in charge of a craftsman Rodolfo Villena Hernandez, with the support of the government of Mexican Province of Puebla. The artistic altar will include their portraits, marigold flowers (cempasuchil for its name in Spanish), candles, catrinas, sugar skulls, as well as some of their belongings, favourite food and beverages of the departed –as mementos. These heroes will be remembered for their sacrifice, exactly 100 years ago in the Great War.
The ofrenda will represent in a graphic and tangible way, how Mexicans celebrate life remembering their deceased beloved ones, through a pre-Hispanic tradition that lasts until nowadays and that has extended beyond Mexican borders.
The celebration will include six different workshops of art and crafts, in which children will have the opportunity of decorating little sugar skulls, t-shirts and enjoy funny face painting.
The programme of activities that goes from 9 to 6 in the afternoon and lasts five days will include samples of authentic Mexican beverages, with the sponsorship of José Cuervo tequila which will also be hosting tequila master classes to prepare an authentic frozen margarita.
Because the program seeks to attract all type of audiences, it will also include an exhibition of portraits of survival veterans of World War II and another one authored by Mexican photographer Gabriela Iturbide
Simultaneously, monumental skulls will be exhibited – because of its unique design- in another room at the Oxo Tower Wharf. These will allow the audience to experience through its senses like hearing, sight and touch.
Starting today Assistants will also have the opportunity to enjoy the film “Under the Volcano” directed by John Huston in 1984, with cinematography by Gabriel Figueroa, which received two Academy Award nominations. The film will be shown in a room with lounge style couches which will allow the spectator to remember in a comfortable position the history of a British consul who was in the folk of Quauhnahuac, Mexico, on the Day of the Dead in 1938.
During the opening ceremony of the event, the Ambassador of Mexico Diego Gomez-Pickering made reference to an extensive programme of artistic, cultural, educational, scientific, economic, gastronomic and touristic activities for 2015, in order to celebrate the “Year of Mexico in the UK” and the “Year of UK in Mexico”.
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