National Theatre hosts giant knitted river

The knitted river cascading over the National Theatre.

Credit: Ludwig Haskins

On Saturday 13 July, WaterAid's giant knitted petition cascaded from the top of the National Theatre's fly tower 25 metres down to Theatre Square on the banks of the river Thames. The knitted river was part of Watch This Space, the National's summer festival of free riverside events.

Gerard Allt, WaterAid Campaigns Officer, said:

"We're delighted that the National Theatre is showcasing the knitted river, it's such a spectacle and being part of the riverside events programme will really help us raise awareness for over a billion people who live without access to safe water." 

In May, End Water Poverty campaigners marched the knitted petition, made up of over 100,000 knitted squares, to 10 Downing Street to demand sanitation and water for all. The unusual river of knitted wool has also appeared at various festivals and events around the UK.

Angus MacKechnie, Watch This Space Producer, said:

"The National has been following the joys of the London knitting movement courtesy of Craig Carruthers, a member of our Box Office team and an avid knitter, so we are delighted at last to see the fruits of the knitting fraternity's labours on such a large scale all over our building, making such an important statement."

On Saturday evening the water theme continued in Theatre Square with a performance of Storm Bringer, adapted from Shakespeare's The Tempest by Avanti Display.  

For more information, please contact Charlotte Godber on 020 7793 4909 or email charlottegodber@wateraid.org.