Sense of Unity

Sense of Unity is taking over University Square from 2nd to 14th November, with performances running daily from 6pm to 7pm. It's a promenade show, so you're on your feet and moving through the space rather than sitting in a seat. The whole thing is presented by Coventry City Council as part of the Coventry Peace Festival, which runs across the city from 2nd to 14th November.

The performance is built around giant illuminated puppets, dynamic drumming, and music inspired by the West African kora. It's a collaboration between Worldbeaters and DUNDU, produced by Activate Performing Arts and supported by Arts Council England through the Coasters touring programme. The two companies bring together different traditions — Worldbeaters' drumming and DUNDU's West African influence — and set them in the open air of University Square. The puppets are lit from within, so the show is designed for the evening, when the light carries across the square.

There's a specific reason for the timing this year. The performance marks 86 years since the Blitz, and it serves as the closing event of the Coventry Peace Festival. The festival itself runs from 2nd to 14th November, and this is the piece that brings it to a finish. The themes the organisers talk about are togetherness, diversity and shared experiences, and the idea of turning a public space into something inclusive that connects people through the arts.

Because it's a promenade performance, you'll be walking along with the puppets and the music rather than watching from a distance. It runs every evening from 6pm to 7pm, from 2nd to 14th November, at University Square in Coventry. Entry is free.