Street Arts and Outdoor Performance
Fuse are developing networks of practice using street arts in rural communities, European festivals and Creation Centres as well as proposing to develop links with street arts practices that also offers key tools for working with young people and hard to reach areas.
Fuse are increasingly engaged with the development of over seas partnerships. We develop the work of emergent companies in street arts and outdoor performance and are invited to develop work in France, Spain, Slovenia, China and with international festivals in this country who are keen to include emergent and professional artists and companies in their programs.
Urban Street Arts Academy
Fuse create events in public spaces in street arts, street theatre, circus, digital arts, making, carnival skills and street animation. We work with workshop teachers of street arts to create a street arts urban academy that works in urban and rural environments. Fuse have developed a mobile workshop that has worked in for example: Belfast Urban Academy (2007-8), Newcastle Urban Theatre (2008) Bridgwater Arts Centre (2007-8) Street Jam, Taunton International Street Arts festival, Hat Fair.
As a company we are continually exploring new ways of engaging audiences both established and new to the arts. In particular we like to mimic popular formats playing with the audiences perception of what is real and fake in contemporary society. We add to this an increasing interest in the use of digital technologies and a commitment to themes of environment and climate politics.
In the I Scream van there is a mobile studio, a cinema, a DJ set. We work within local contexts, developing work with partner organisations, using existing resources where and when they are only needed. Although committed to making excellent work locally and nationally we are especially interested in developing sustainable relationships with arts producers, the public sector, arts organisations and with local community organisations.
We are involved in the training of street arts and outdoor practice and we engage a new generation of young people in creative practice. The practices of the street remain a key interest to young people. Our practice emphasises our need to facilitate interaction between groups of young artists and professional practice, a shared learning in which we can help in developing networks of shared learning practice as lecturers and workshop leaders in street arts degrees, in Further Education Performing Arts and as creative producers linking training and professional practice, Fuse are well positioned to create the links that can make this possible.
Street Arts
Fuse have been involved with street arts for over 30 years locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. John Lee company director developed the first BA Hons Street Arts degree at University of Winchester.
Fuse take a broad definition of the practice that ranges from the carnivalesque to digital, from clowning to dancing in the streets and street dance. Having come from a strong circus and physical theatre background we are exploring contemporary performance in a wide range of spaces, sites and locations that are defined by performance styles of street arts, rather than necessarily being indoors or outdoors. This leads to a diversity of interests and performances from Roots Routes Roots (2000) an environmental project, the Caravan Show (Year of the Artist 2001) a durational comic outdoor live and web event , Bristol City Football Stadium (YOTA 2000) audience of 40,000 through to the ‘Family Outing’ (2003) a post modern walkabout. Cafe Lente (2004/5) a Live Art installation, the Village Fete performance event and Misguided Tours rewriting the city.
