Shanghai Daily news 

Special Olympic athletes and the audience will enjoy a visual feast at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games on October 2.

Well-known designers of lighting, fireworks, costumes, music and scenery from both home and abroad have been invited to contribute to the ceremony, said the cere-mony's creative and production team yesterday.

Bob Dickinson from the United States, one of the most celebrated designers in the entertainment industry, will be one of the two lighting designers for the ceremony. His career has spanned 30 years and he has earned 14 Emmy Awards.

"We'll use and approach the color and the intensity to explore the meaning of harmony, which is the topic of the ceremony," he said.

The other lighting designer is Liu Wenhao, a famous artistic Chinese designer. He has designed works for the 30th anniversary evening of Sino-Japan friendship in Tokyo and the opening ceremony of Sino-France Culture Year in Paris.

Fireworks will be trusted to Francis Wu from Hong Kong and his Glorious Group. Their accomplishments included the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and the opening and closing ceremonies of FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany.

The group will use fireworks made in China, and the most advanced technology in the world to ensure the fireworks' beauty and safety.

"The fireworks will be divided into several parts, adding up to about 10 minutes," said Wu.

Costumes for each of the 5,800 performers are designed by well-known domestic designer Song Li, and will be intricate in every detail, said the ceremony's creative team.