Heritage & identity
Explore how a river shaped communities, livelihoods and traditions across generations.
LONDON NEW YEAR’S DAY PARADE · 2027
One river.
Many stories.
Your voices.
Bring river heritage to life through young people’s creativity. A BIEA STEAM project for schools and youth clubs, with global outreach.
01 / 01 / 2027London, United Kingdom
TRADITION REIMAGINED BY YOUTH
The past has stories.
The future has you.
The proposed International Youth Cultural Parade invites young people to reinterpret their heritage through music, dance, costume, storytelling and performance.
Our 2027 focus is Rivers of Heritage: exploring one river and the history, culture and identity of the communities along its banks. From folklore and festivals to wildlife and ways of life, students turn their discoveries into a shared creative presentation.
FOLLOW THE RIVER
What stories will you discover?
Music & memories
Uncover songs, festivals and folklore, then give them a fresh expression through performance.
Wildlife & our future
Discover the river’s natural world and reflect on how young people can care for its future.
FOR SCHOOLS, YOUTH CLUBS, STUDENT UNIONS & STUDENT SOCIETIES
From your community
to celebration.
A short creative learning journey, with support from the BIEA coordinator.
Enquire about taking partResearch your river
Discover its stories, communities and cultural heritage as part of 3–4 project sessions.
Create together
Reinterpret your discoveries through simple designs, costume, movement, music or storytelling, with creative support from BIEA.
Bring it to London
Organise your students’ participation in the parade on 1 January 2027. Contact BIEA to discuss arrangements.
Celebrate students’ achievement
Participating students receive BIEA STEM Stars recognition, worth £25 each, as outlined in the school leaflet.
A new year. A shared celebration.YOUR PARADE DAY
London.
1 January 2027.
- When
- Friday · 1:00pm–4:30pm
- Where
- Piccadilly, Regent Street St James’s, Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall
- Watching the parade
- Free standing areas for the general public. Ticket holders arrive from noon.
Timing and route shown in the BIEA project leaflet. Check the parade organiser for the latest visitor arrangements.
Visit the London Parade websiteWORKING TOGETHER
Our collaborators
Collaboration is already agreed with Born Free Foundation and the Scouts for the Rivers of Heritage project.
More collaborations
to come
to come
Growing a shared celebration of youth, heritage and creativity.
BEFORE YOU JOIN
A few useful details.
Who is the project for?
Schools, youth clubs, university societies and student unions interested in bringing young people together through culture, heritage and creative learning. Contact Helen to discuss your group.
Do we need elaborate costumes?
The leaflet encourages simple designs developed during the project sessions, with creative support from BIEA. Discuss practical ideas with the coordinator.
How much preparation is involved?
Students complete 3–4 research and creative sessions. Your group will also need to organise participation in London on New Year’s Day.
How do we express interest?
Email Helen with your school or club name, the approximate size of your group and what interests you about the project. She can discuss the next steps with you.
LET’S CREATE SOMETHING TOGETHER
Your river.
Your heritage.
Your place in the parade.
Talk to Helen about bringing your school, youth club, student union, society or organisation into the project.
Email hhu@biea.org.uk with your organisation’s name, approximate group size and any questions.
hhu@biea.org.uk