Commonwealth Games 2022: Peaky Blinders writer to join team creating opening ceremony
Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight has been named among a team of six tasked with producing the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
He'll be joining Birmingham-born theatre director Iqbal Khan, novelist Maeve Clarke and rapper Joshua "RTKal" Holness who have also been named as part of the creative team.
Organisers have confirmed a cast of 1,200 volunteers will take part in the ceremony on July 28 next year at the 30,000-capacity Alexander Stadium.
Speaking to ITV News, Steven Knight said: "We want people to leave this really wanting to come here, visit here and invest here and work here. So the plan is to bang the drum for Birmingham in a way that Birmingham hasn't really done in the past."
Steven Knight, Executive producer
The team have been bought together by Birmingham 2022's chief creative officer Martin Green, who also led the Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies at London 2012.
Mr Green said the opening ceremony will be a defining moment for Birmingham,the West Midlands, and the UK, adding: "As we create these ceremonies, it is our intention to utilise the new range of tools at our disposal.
"From CGI to special effects, the UK is a world leader in cutting-edge broadcast technology.
"The core creative team assembled to imagine the opening ceremony is drawn from a diverse range of disciplines, from theatre to literature, TV to stage production; we have had access to the very best UK and West Midlands talent to create this.
"This talent and these tools are nothing without a story, and this city and region are full of rich and diverse narratives to share with the world.
"Ten years, almost to the day, since London 2012's opening ceremony, these Games in Birmingham present a unique opportunity to create a global advert at a moment of renewal as we emerge from the challenges of the pandemic."
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