The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympics Games (LOCOG) on Thursday (12 January) began a search for enthusiastic and energetic adult volunteer performers to participate in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Jenny Sealey and Bradley Hemmings, Co Artistic -Directors of the Opening Ceremony, and Kim Gavin, Artistic Director of the Paralympic Closing Ceremony, are searching for 5,000 volunteer performers to fill roles as dancers, actors, percussionists and general all-around performers.

Successful applicants will perform in front of a packed stadium and a worldwide broadcast audience for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of one of the largest events ever staged in Great Britain.

Applicants must be able to participate in up to two auditions that will take place on evenings and weekends in February and March, up to two or three rehearsal sessions each week of up to four hours per session from June, and a number of all day rehearsals in the three weeks leading up to each Ceremony. All of these rehearsals will take place in East London.

Jenny Sealey, Co-Artistic Director of the London 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony said: “As with the Olympic Ceremonies we’re looking for both disabled and non-disabled applicants and previous performance experience is not required.

“We’re really looking for enthusiasm and commitment. Anyone with a positive attitude, huge amounts of energy and a willingness to perform in front of a stadium audience and to millions of people around the world should get onto the London 2012 website now and sign up.”

The public can find more information and register their interest for this opportunity by completing the online application form at www.london2012.com/ceremoniescasting.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 13 February, and it is not a first-come, first-served process.

To be eligible applicants must be 18 years or older on 1 March 2012. Only one application per person will be accepted and if LOCOG receives over 8,000 applications a computerized draw will be used to randomly create the short list for auditions.