US firm chosen to mastermind 2014 Commonwealth Games ceremonies

The US-based company will work with the organisers of Glasgow 2014 to deliver the opening ceremony, on July 23, 2014, at Celtic Park and the closing ceremony at Hampden Park on August 3. Both events will be viewed by a potential TV audience of more than one billion people, showcasing Glasgow and Scotland on a global stage.

David Grevemberg, chief executive of the Glasgow 2014 organising committee, said: "The opening and closing ceremonies of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games represent a unique opportunity to inspire national and international audiences with a dynamic and vibrant experience of Scotland.

"They are also one of the highlights of a Games and this investment has the potential to bring direct economic benefits to our creative industries, boosting jobs and contract opportunities.

"Jack Morton Worldwide has an impressive track record of culture, creativity and legacy and the profile they have created at global events speaks for itself."

Jack Morton, which also delivered ceremonies for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and Melbourne, won the bid after demonstrating a wealth of experience in supporting and working with local talent in many cities, and its commitment to helping Glasgow 2014 achieve its plans for a lasting legacy from the Games.

The agency will now begin the search for both established and emerging talent in Scotland to take to the stage during the events.

David Zolkwer, director of public events for Jack Morton Worldwide and head of ceremonies for the Glasgow 2014 Games, said: "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Glasgow 2014 to deliver unique 21st-century ceremonies that will capture the true spirit of the city and the region.

"I'm particularly looking forward to engaging with both the creative sector and the extended community to create ceremonies that make Scotland proud and inspire the watching world."

Shona Robison, Holyrood's minister for the Commonwealth Games and sport, said: "As host of the Commonwealth Games in 2014, the opening and closing ceremonies will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase Scotland's offer to the world and will be real highlights of the Games. I'm also pleased to see that this investment will bring benefits to our vibrant creative industries in the run-up to 2014."

The ceremonies include the Parade of Nations, during which countries are welcomed to the Games, and the arrival of thousands of athletes. It will also feature the end of the Queen's Baton Relay, which will visit every Commonwealth nation before travelling throughout Scotland for the Games.

The handing over of the flag to the Gold Coast, host of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, will be a highlight of the closing ceremony.

Michael Cavanagh, chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said: "The Commonwealth Games opening ceremony is a landmark occasion for the athletes as they march into the stadium, and being in front of a home crowd in 2014 will make this particularly special for Team Scotland.

"So I am particularly delighted that Jack Morton Worldwide, with their first-class track record of staging such events, has been chosen by Glasgow 2014 for this role.

"I am confident that, with their commitment to incorporating local talent, they will showcase the best of contemporary Scotland, set against our colourful history and traditions, and at the same time embrace the values of the Commonwealth as we welcome the 70 nations, regions and territories to Glasgow."

'Glasgow must be portrayed in a way that captures the global imagination'

COMMENT

By Pete Irvine

The scale of the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony in 2014 and the expectations that go along with it obviously offer up a great challenge straight away.

Danny Boyle's opening London Olympics ceremony has set the bar very high and his approach to it was very different to anything that had gone before.

It was very human, very humorous and it made Great Britain look really fascinating.

It set the tone for the "feelgood games" and turned all the scepticism and potential lack of interest into something captivating. It hooked people in. It immediately got us all on side and the Commonwealth Games opening ceremeny has to do the same.

One of the extraordinary things about Danny Boyle's show was how they managed to change from one scene to another so smoothly and quickly.

In London, they were able to clear away the green and pleasant land and turn it into the industrial revolution in just minutes without us really noticing. It may be a challenge to do the same in Glasgow.

Also, the Olympic stadium was purpose built for the ceremony and sporting events and I'm not sure that will be the case in Glasgow.

Of course, it's too early to speculate on exactly what Jack Morton will do, but the business has clearly demonstrated experience in managing the huge number of people who will be involved in putting on a show like this.

For the Commonwealth Games the baton has to be incorporated, whereas for the Olympics it was the flame.

And around that you have to create a huge celebration of culture which sets the tone for the Games.

There will be people who watch it on TV who perhaps don't know a great deal about Scotland or Glasgow and you have to portray both in a way that captures the imagination of a global audience with different expectations and understandings.

There are probably certain things that people around the world think of when they think of Scotland – tartan, whisky and pipe bands – and I think there's a great deal of re-invention and reconstruction of such images that will be needed.

The challenge will be to show there's something about Scotland that's captivating, exciting and entertaining.

Pete Irvine is managing director of Unique Events, the firm behind the opening of the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations and the UEFA Cup final in Glasgow in 2002