info@thegiants.org.uk

~Join our 2012 Queen's Jubilee Celebrations~

Already over 40 GiANT Queens & Teams of people from Cheshire, Warrington & North Wales are coming together for a huge procession around Chester and many other events. We are aiming for 60 for the Diamond! If you would like an application pack containing the project details and requirements, some more information, or perhaps a visit to explain and enthuse, then just send us your name and email address. Don't wait - do it today!

For Lead Organisations, Groups & Artists As you can see above and elsewhere we have already built a 'Winter Queen' as the first of many others to be made by the JUBILEE GiANTS participants. To help them create the best GiANT Queens possible we are running a series of WORKSHOPS (opposite) from now through to April. Held at The GiANTS HQ Chester, Crewe & Warrington they are run by our experts and will provide inspiration, detailed guidance and hands on experience for all skill levels. If you are registered you should already have received a booking form via email. If not, or for any other information please contact pam@thegiants.org.uk .

Select PARTNER PROJECTS for all the Jubilee news.

2 Queens Visit Sunny New Brighton

HUNDREDS of people lined New Brighton’s promenade and outside the Floral Pavilion theatre to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh as they visited on December 1st. Also there was our 1st GiANT Queen which was seen by Queen Elizabeth and was very popular, with groups of people queueing to have photos taken with her all day.

& Blackpool in the Sun (and Mail)

See our youtube video of Blackpool GiANTS with Ant & Dec. http://www.youtube.com/user/chesterGIANTS?feature=mhee

WE ARE HERE

All the GiANT activities under one roof: Admin, Organisation, Design, Construction, Training & Workshops. You can Volunteer to join in or just pop in to meet The GiANTS. Open 9-5 weekdays, we are always happy to meet people with a GiANT interest.

Select The GiANTS for more details of the GiANT Collection.

What are the GiANTS?

A Chester based not-for-profit Social Enterprise & Community Interest Company.
CHESTER THE GiANT CITY produce large scale (typically 12ft- 14ft) 'GiANTS' that represent a variety of people, occupations and visions. The modern GiANTS follow on from a Celtic, through Roman and Medeval tradition of giant building of which Chester was the English centre. The idea behind the GiANTS is that communities and companies make or sponsor a GiANT that in some way reflects the nature, aspirations or image of the group and that these GiANTS then become part of a wider celebration of culture in the City.

The GiANTS TWITTER

Chester's GiANT Anthem The anthem tells the story of a Chester GiANT who, like an Olympic athlete in pursuit of gold, travels the world to find her dream. Composed by Matt Baker and Helen Newall and led by the women’s choir A Handbag of Harmonies, singers, dancers, children and GiANTS help the young girl in her quest for fulfilment.

The anthem lasts approximately 20 minutes and is Chester’s contribution to Music Nation - a spectacular weekend of music around the UK, organised by the BBC and LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic & Paralympic Games) to set the scene for the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad. - Do try to be there! PARTICIPANTS:
CHOIRS: A Handbag of Harmonies
A Handbag of Harmonies outreach choir
Cantata
Decibellas
Fireflies
Frodsham and District Choral Society
Highfield Male Voice Choir
Tattenhall Community Choir
The Chester Ladies’ Choir
The Spinney Choir
DANCERS: Homegrown Dance Theatre
GiANTS: Chester the GiANT City
MUSICIANS:
Chester Schools’ Concert Band
SCHOOLS: Blacon High School
Chester Blue Coat CE Primary School
Dee Point Primary School
Dodleston CE Primary School
Helsby Hillside Primary School
Highfield Community Primary School
J H Godwin Primary School
Oaklands School
St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School
Sandiway Primary School
The Arches Community Primary School
The Bishops’ Blue Coat CE High School
SOLOISTS: Sarra Cooper & Robert Clack



A LOOK BACK AT 2011: A FEW HIGHLIGHTS IN THE GiANTS CALENDAR

JAN: Based at BiG Storage (GiANTs), Hawthorn House (Office) and Blacon Hope Centre (Internet Caf‚) the new GiANT Carnival Team set about planning a world first event for Chester - A Carnival of GiANTs. The idea was so successful that our project gained the first Cultural Olympiad Inspire Mark for Chester.

FEB: Between February and June, our Volunteer Coordinator, Hannah Woods recruited 347 volunteers and over 50 new organisations to our projects.

MAR: The beginning of the GiANT-making season with over 100 organisations taking part. The development of a joint Lache Schools project (the first time in over 20 years) and a joint Blacon Schools project where every single child in all the primary schools had an input into making their GiANT. March was the month of the Japanese Tsunami. Chester's Japanese Mums and Toddler Group came together, built a GiANT and, raised £6,000 to send home as a means of offering help. March also saw members of NACRO create a GiANT for OXFAM and walking with it to London to raise awareness that 1000 women die every day in child birth.

APR: We commissioned the Forrest Brothers to make William and Katherine GiANTs for their wedding celebrations. These GiANTs heralded a new era in Chester GiANT-making. They have been used extensively to promote our work locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

MAY: Chester The GiANT City welcomed the new Lord Mayor as President of our organisation. May was also the month of serious GiANT-making for over 100 organisations as they prepared for the Carnival of GiANTs.

JUN: This must have been the wettest Carnival in living memory but in spite of the weather 105 GiANTs turned out for the event, although only those able to withstand the rain took to the streets, ninety- five of them took part - some better equipped than others. At the end of June we were awarded £60,000 from the Big Lottery Queen's Jubilee People's Millions Fund, and so secured the future of The GiANTs.

JUL: The end of an era for The GiANTs. Since our existence in February 2009 the Atrium on the second floor of BiG Storage had been the home of all our GiANT-making and community outreach activities, sadly it was time to move on. A GIANT thank you to Andrew Donalson and all his staff.

AUG: A new site and new challenges. Mike Bell stepped into the breach and offered Chester The GiANT City a truly amazing site at 'the old builders merchants' on Sealand Road, Chester. It needed a few minor alterations such as the walls knocking down and, we needed to look at the use of the large yard and garden. The yard is now shared parking for our neighbours (in return we get high level security for the site) and, we are about to create a 'pick your own' community vegetable garden with the help of our volunteer gardeners.

SEP: Commissioning and designing of the Queen GiANT by local artist Nick Elphick. Another step up in the design and quality of our GiANTS. The beginning of the new project year - The Queen's Jubilee Celebrations; Cultural Olympiad Inspire Programmes; Carnival; Community Outreach & Regeneration Partnership Projects and Educational Projects. A brand new Project Management Team: Lucy Jones (General Manager; Artist); Pamela Drew (Volunteer Coordinator; Events); Sam Jones (Costume Design; Seamstress & Twitter); Stewart Smith (Warehouse); Rob Welch (Graphics; Web; Communication); Robin Hamer (Joiner; Designer).

OCT: New Partnership development - Probation Service, West Cheshire College and Ministry of Justice. An agreement from Lache and Blacon Schools to work together on a joint GiANT Project. This project includes writing a joint education model to be used as an example for collaborative work in areas of high levels of multiple deprivations. This is success at its best.

NOV: Launch of the QE2 project across the whole of East and West Cheshire and Warrington which proved to be a brilliant opportunity to invite all our stakeholders to a party at The GiANTS HQ along with the BBC, BBC Wales, ITV and Granada TV, Dee 106.3 and Marcher Sound.

DEC: A very busy season for our two Father Christmas Giants who attended all sorts of community events in Chester and across the Wirral. Wirral is proving to be a hive of QE2 activity: Sainsbury's in Upton are busy linking us up not only with their own communities on the Wirral but also with Sainsbury nationwide and; the real Queen, on her visit to New Brighton, saw and waved to our QE2.

CARNIVAL DAY - JUNE 2011

Rain didn't stop play - Here is just a taste of the day.

We thank all involved for helping to make this such a successful event.

Call for VOLUNTEERS

It's never too late to get involved.
Chester - The Giant City is all about getting involved and joining in the fun.
If you and your community already have a Giant then register it with us and come and take part in our Festivals. Please contact us
If you would like to build a giant but don't know how to get started then contact us  We sell flat-pack Giants, and within a couple of days you too could be taking part in Giant events.

Register on our site, and we will keep you informed of our Giant Events. Or alternatively feel free to contact us if you require any more information.