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Between 2007 –– 2011 Without Walls has:

• Supported 45 companies

• Supported 15 companies new to making work for the outdoors

• Delivered 31 new commissions

• Invested £510,000 in the creation of new work

• Enabled 6 Research & Development projects, one of which is

now a large-scale international work

• Supported the presentation of over 700 free performances

reaching an audience of 1.3 million people

• Invested over £1.5m in supporting companies through touring

nationally

Founded in 2007, Without Walls is a consortium of 8 UK arts festivals who work together to deliver an annual platform of new outdoor arts by British artists.

The consortium members are:

Brighton Festival

Bristol Do

Greenwich + Docklands International Festival

Lakes Alive, Cumbria

Norfolk & Norwich Festival

Stockton International Riverside Festival

Winchester Hat Fair

XTRAX, Manchester

Without Walls has been breaking new ground in the development and creation of outdoor arts in the UK, working in partnership to deliver opportunities for British artists to create new work of the highest quality, and making that programmeavailable to the widest possible audience.

As a model of strategic partnership, Without Walls is showing that collaboration results in an increased range and quality of work for festival audiences.

Without Walls is bringing UK work to the attention of international programmers and potential partners, helping to ensure that Britain can compete in the flourishing international outdoor arts marketplace.

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Without Walls

Over the past five years Without Walls has extended the reach of

outdoor work in surprising ways, with a programme of acclaimed

performances that have transformed and animated urban and

rural settings up and down the country.

Partnership, civic alliances, shared risk and investment have been

at the heart of our work and key to our success as we pooled

creative ideas and experience, supporting artists to be bolder in

developing new and exciting work for the public realm.

We have responded to some extraordinary ideas and in doing so

have nurtured the skills and talents of the British outdoor sector,

as well as bringing in new players, through commissions and

presentations of large and middle scale work. The work crosses

a surprising range of artforms – dance, theatre, installation,

music and pyrotechnics. And usually with a twist. Last year’s

programme provoked and engaged as well as delighted and

entertained; fly by night hotels were brought to vivid life through

dance and sound; audiences actively participated in the very

real scenario of a world in crisis through a changing climate, and

were astonished by gravity defying acts as performers balanced,

slid and tumbled through the air.

For 2011 and beyond we are looking to develop a series of

even more ambitious projects that continue to demonstrate

how transformative and powerful outdoor work can be,

taking audiences on a journey that invites them to look at their

surroundings in different ways. To achieve this Without Walls

will work with some of the UK’s most original and innovative

artists, bringing in new partners, not only nationally but also

from Europe and beyond through our fast-growing international

networks.

The vision and ambition of British artists for creating work in the

public realm is growing. Without Walls is well placed to nurture

and realise that vision.

Without Walls

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Rose Fenton, Chair, Without Walls

“Without Walls has been instrumental in the development of Plunge Boom. The commission came when I was wanting to move into making outdoor work, having previously focused on studio theatre. This… has led onto more than 3 years of work in the outdoors, touring and making new work. It gave me professional advice and mentorship in working in the outdoors and, more importantly, the confidence to take risks”

Ben Faulks, Director, Plunge Boom

Without Walls is helping raise the bar for free, accessible, outdoor arts in the UK. Providing a supportive structure which allows artists to experiment; take risks and create more ambitious work than might normally be possible. Without Walls has also been instrumental in providing opportunities to companies new to the outdoor arts sector to create work, ensuring talent is supported and artistic excellence thrives.

Artists are engaged through a combination of open submission, invitation and strategic commissioning. Each company is assigned a lead contact from amongst the festival directors, to offer support and guidance throughout the process. Without Walls has developed a bespoke, formal commissioning process for each lead Director to follow, ensuring a consistency of approach from the consortium. Artists also attend annual meetings with members of the consortium, where they can give feedback, share experiences and have the chance to hear from their peers.

Each Without Walls partner presents 4 – 10 new works every year in addition to their regular outdoor programme, increasing the proportion of British work and the range and diversity presented in each festival.

Each partner works with their local communities to develop audiences and shares its networks and expertise with the consortium to improve and ensure best practice. Without Walls is contributing to a sustainable sector, helping generate interest and bookings for companies both in the UK and abroad.

Artists wishing to make contact with Without Walls should in the first instance visit the website to join the mailing list and view guidance on how to approach the consortium.

“It has encouraged us to think of our work on a more national scale and actively promote our work outside of London. We are also considering a new Associate Artist Programme which would include site-specific commissions for cities outside of London in partnership with community organisations, and much of the thinking behind this new idea has been influenced by experiences with Sufi:Zen this summer.”

Mira Kaushik, Director, Akademi

Artist Development

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Artist Development

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Without Walls is committed to the presentation of new and diverse voices, including supporting 8 disabled artists and disable-led companies to make new work for the outdoors for the first time – The Alexandras, Marc Brew, Fittings Multimedia Arts, Graeae, Kuljit Bhamra, StopGAP, Mark Smith and Candoco.

“The opportunity to grow has been extraordinary. The BSL translation process has developed and we were able to be more theatrically ironic with signed songs. The biggest learning curve has been how to respond and adapt to the diversity of festivals and audiences and become more confident as outdoor performers.”

Jenny Sealey, Director, The Alexandras / Graeae

“I felt I was entrusted to take a risk and it was expected I would deliver a high quality product. The support from Without Walls was fantastic – I felt I could call any one of the team at any time for advice. The commissioning process was a big responsibility – a genuine combination of dynamism, trust and support.”

Kuljit Bhamra, creator of Chutney

“The Bell was our largest production to date, playing to audiences of up to 5000 people. It was a challenging departure for us. The process of having a number of dates through Without Walls was extremely valuable in allowing us to develop many aspects of the performance from venue to venue, and adjust to the demands of this scale. Through this process, our large-scale work has been recognised as international quality, headlining at festivals in Poland and Mexico, where we received popular and critical acclaim, which has led to other international enquiries.”

Claire Rafferty, Director, Periplum

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Fuel is a producing organisation working in partnership with some of the most exciting theatre artists in the UK. In 2010, Without Walls and London venue Sadler’s Wells co-commissioned Fuel to produce the outdoor spectacle Electric Hotel conceived & directed by David Rosenberg and choreographed & co-directed by Frauke Requardt.

“Electric Hotel turned out to be one of the popular must-sees of the festival.”

Frank Wilson, Artistic Director Stockton

International Riverside Festival

The project enabled Fuel to extend the audiences for their work to the outdoor, and has encouraged their portfolio of artists to think bigger about potential work in the future. The company made valuable links with new international contacts through the relationship with Stockton International Riverside Festival.

“Electric Hotel was a hugely ambitious project and we were very fortunate to have the support of Without Walls to make it happen. They were able to provide crucial financial backing for this bold piece of work and a programming context at three festivals which allowed the work to reach a wide audience who didn’t have to pay to experience the work. This was crucial for us in making it happen, and in engaging an audience around the UK. They also offered their expertise and experience in outdoor arts, which was invaluable to us as we embarked on our first project of this scale.”

Kate McGrath, Fuel

Electric Hotel / Fuel“Electric Hotel was the first show within

Brighton Festival to sell out”

Andrew Comben, Director Brighton Festival

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Motionhouse

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Under the strong direction of Kevin Finnan and Louise Richards, Motionhouse have led the way for UK dance companies to develop successful work for outdoor festivals. Whilst always having experimented with presenting their work in unusual spaces and site-specific settings, the relationship with Without Walls has enabled Motionhouse to develop and market an entirely new strand of work. What began as an experiment with Chaser, their piece for the outdoors in 2005, has become a core component of the company’s work and is now fundamental to their business model.

The initial success of Chaser led to the Without Walls commission of Underground in 2008 and Cascade in 2010. The support of Without Walls and the experience gained from working in the outdoors, enabled Motionhouse to re-target and re-market Chaser to the outdoor festivals sector. All 3 shows have toured consistently each summer since and look set to continue touring extensively for years to come.

All 3 outdoor pieces received overwhelmingly positive feedback, reaching a wide audience, many new to the company’s work. The 3 Motionhouse shows have now visited festivals across the UK and toured internationally to 9 countries, including Romania, France and Spain. The combination of the creation and touring of theatre-based work, with delivering work for the outdoor festival market is now a vital part of the Motionhouse brand, and integral to its plans for the future.

“Our partnership with Without Walls has been fundamental to allowing us to broaden our core programme to include work for festival touring. The investment, support and belief in the work has enabled us to completely re-focus the Motionhouse offer and to develop a burgeoning international market for the work. The dialogue and faith Without Walls has in companies who wish to try something new is really unique – an amazing opportunity.”

Kevin Finnan & Louise Richards, Motionhouse

“I just wanted to write and say how amazed and moved I was today by Cascade. I was shocked to find myself feeling so emotional and connected to the narratives – as well as being astonished by the skill and strength of the dancers. Thanks, thanks, thanks for the best performance experience I have had for years.”

Audience Member, The Bristol Do, 2010 on Cascade

“What can I say? Truly brilliant....I was actually moved to tears by the end”

Audience Member, GDIF 2010 on Cascade

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StopGAP Dance Company is a contemporary dance company made up of 5 professional performers with and without disabilities. Tracking, commissioned by Without Walls in 2009, was their first foray into outdoor performance. Choreographed by StopGAP’s own choreographer Lucy Bennett, the company were joined by celebrated disabled dancer David Toole (DV8, Candoco).

“Tracking was a huge eye-opener for us. As a company, we have always sought to create work that engages with the audience through mixing character work and dance, but this is sometimes frowned upon when we perform this kind of work in indoor venues. For Tracking, we decided to elaborate on the theatrical side by creating exaggerated characters and iconic images. We received very positive feedback from audiences. In effect, we have found a good medium in the outdoor sector to take some risks with our art and still feel more or less at ease with testing out some of our ideas. This ‘safe space’ will undoubtedly inform our indoor work too.”

Sho Shibata, Producer, StopGAP

StopGAP“Performing arts hasn’t been my thing before but I found

the show beautiful, dynamic, engaging, lively and fun. You’re a credit to the performing world! Amazing!”

Audience Member, XTRAX Manchester 2009 on Tracking

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Wired Aerial Theatre

Wired Aerial Theatre present thrilling dance theatre productions using their uniquely developed style of bungee-assisted dance. Through their work with Without Walls, Wired Aerial is now a firmly established company on the outdoor circuit, having created two commissions for the consortium, the deliciously devilish festival favourite Fervorosa choregraphed by Brenda Angiel and the aerial spectacular Straw Dog choreographed by Henri Oguike.

“Making Fervorosa enabled Wired to work with internationally recognised choreographer, Brenda Angiel, the only other bungee dancing company and choreographer working in a similar way to us. Bringing Brenda to the UK… allowed us to join with other companies such as Circelation to provide the circus and aerial performance industry with panel discussions that explored her work and ours, and the placement and significance of it within the circus world as a whole. These opportunities really propelled our profile and we have undoubtedly benefited from this since.”

Wendy Hesketh-Ogilvie, Director, Wired Aerial

“Outstandingly beautiful in every way: masculine, breathtaking, memorable” Audience Member, GDIF 2010 on Straw Dog

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Without Walls artists & companies:

2007 – 2011

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Artists

AcrojouAkademiAswarmBad Taste Cru Ballet Boyz II: The Next GenerationBootworksCandoco and Scarabeus Company FierceContactDodgy Clutch Theatre CompanyFittings Multimedia ArtsFuelGraeae Theatre CompanyGravity & LevityKompany MalakhiKuljit BhamraLuci Gorell BarnesMarc Brew CompanyMetisMetro-Boulet-DodoMimbreMotionhouseNigel Jamieson

NoFit State CircusOrkestra del SolPaschale StraitonPen-ultimatePeriplumPlunge BoomProdigal TheatrePunchdrunkRagroof TheatreRed Herring Smith and Gadsden with Deaf Men DancingSrishtiStopGAPTavaziva DanceThe AlexandrasThe Mancunian Steam and Pressure Navigation CompanyWhalley Range All Stars & BabokThe World FamousUpswingWired Aerial Theatre

The World Famous with Terrafolk Full Circle

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Arts Council ScotlandBig in Falkirk Birmingham HippodromeBradford Metropolitan CouncilBrighton FestivalContact TheatreCreative PartnershipsDance City, NewcastleFierceFira Tarrega, BarcelonaFreeArt BarcelonaGreenwich + Docklands International FestivalJuice FestivalJunction

Lanternhouse InternationalLakes AliveLegacy Trust UK Liberty FestivalLiverpool City CouncilmacNorfolk & Norwich FestivalPRS Foundation Sadler’s WellsSHAPE: In SituStockton International Riverside FestivalTippingPointUniversity of East AngliaUniversity of Surrey

Crucial to the success of Without Walls has been its ability to access co-commissioning funds from a range of partners outside the outdoor arts sector. In 2010 Without Walls generated over £200,000 in co-commissioning funds.

In 2009 and 2010 local authority investment across the consortium totaled £590,000.

CommissioningPartners

Without Walls co-commissioning partners:

2007 – 2011

Brighton Festival

“The strength of the Without Walls partnership, not only in developing high quality UK outdoor work but in sharing knowledge, experience and resources is enormously important to Brighton Festival’s annual programme. In seeking to bring the best work available nationally and internationally across all artforms, thanks to Without Walls we are able to balance the range of outdoor work offered by our European partners with ambitious and innovative projects from artists in the UK, giving a rich experience to audiences who might not otherwise engage with the Festival and encourage them to explore everything on offer.”

Andrew Comben, Director, Brighton Festival

Bristol Do

“The Without Walls partnership support has been invaluable to the development and profile of The Bristol Do. Support from the other festival directors has also been invaluable in the formative years of the festival, enabling The Bristol Do to become a relatively high profile event for its size, attracting a large and broad audience as well as promoters, artists and presenters. The partnership and support of the other festivals and the range of work available has really lifted the quality of the outdoor sector in Bristol. Artists are now approaching us wanting to have their work presented at the festival.”

Claire Teasdale, Director, Bristol Do

Greenwich + DocklandsInternational Festival

“Without Walls has enhanced the way in which GDIF has been able to present the work of British artists at a variety of scales. It’s been particularly helpful in enabling the Festival to consider and present a broader range of small and medium-scale performances. Work supported by Without Walls has also helped to strengthen the Festival’s outdoor dance programming and complemented our core commitment to commissioning and presenting new work by deaf and disabled artists.”

Bradley Hemmings, Director, GDIF

Lakes Alive, Cumbria

“Without Walls enables us to put on new UK work which is innovative and brings a new artistic dimension to our programme and to specific concepts. Without Walls collaborations definitely appeal to our partners, including local authorities and English Heritage – bringing both content and kudos.” Julie Tait, Director, Lakes Alive

Norfolk & Norwich Festival

“Without Walls is a vital and innovative model for a new way of creative and collaborative working. The shared and cumulative knowledge and experience of the consortium’s members and the organisations they represent has created a producing and commissioning force that is far greater than the sum of its parts. For the Norfolk & Norwich Festival the financial support of the consortium has enabled the Festival to continue to build and develop its outdoor programme, in particular in presenting a range of projects, diverse in scale and practice, showcasing these UK companies and artists alongside international work of the highest quality, and massively increasing the audience for this area of work.”

Matt Burman, Executive Producer, Norfolk & Norwich Festival

Stockton International Riverside Festival

“SIRF 2010 was perhaps the most risk-taking festival in the 23 year history of the event. The collective expertise of Without Walls has significantly enhanced the range and quality of the new UK work presented by SIRF in the past 3 years. Motionhouse and Plunge Boom in 2007, Prodigal and Wired Aerial in 2008 and Marc Brew and Punchdrunk in 2009, are all examples of companies brought into my orbit by Without Walls colleagues’ regional and artform contacts. This has been good for me and great for SIRF audiences!”

Frank Wilson, Director, Stockton International Riverside Festival

Winchester Hat Fair

“Being part of Without Walls helped us in promoting British artists abroad. We are part of an EU funded network with French partners called ZEPA. Without Walls is well regarded abroad. The French partners have taken notice of the Without Walls shows because they have the backing of the partnership.”

Sian Thomas, Former Director, Hat Fair

XTRAX

“Without Walls has had a profound effect on XTRAX. It has been crucially important for us to be part of this unique partnership as it provides structured resources for the development of new and risk-taking work, as well as a platform for their presentation.”

Maggie Clarke, Director, XTRAX

Periplum

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withoutwalls.uk.cominfo@withoutwalls.uk.com

WithoutWalls“While the creativity and resourcefulness of the UK’s street arts companies always provides invaluable inspiration, I believe that it’s important for outdoor festivals to engage with artists from other art forms. One of this year’s festival commissions (coming through the national street arts consortium Without Walls) is Punchdrunk’s new outdoor piece, The House That Jack Built... Also more traditionally associated with the venue-based world are Ballet Boyz, who... are this year for the first time creating exquisite outdoor contemporary dance for Without Walls… These productions will bring something unexpected to the street arts party, and a new impetus for the outdoors not only helps refresh and bring new blood to the sector, but also creates a sense of critical seriousness about street arts.”Lyn Gardner, The Guardian blog, 2010

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Cut out images feature the projects:-

Fervorosa, Straw Dog,The Next Level & Cascade