Urban Street Arts

Fuse have created events for urban and rural communities developing arts practice with and for young people, linking skills and intergenerational projects, producing events and training skills workshops. Skills taught often involve performing arts skills and street arts involving challenging circus skills, high stilts, unicycling, tightwire, digital arts, film, photography, online networking, making skills, sculpture, carnival skills, beat box and DJing. Fuse training events and workshops are mobile and have been developed over many years practice. Fuse offer training for young people to develop new work. Fuse receive funding and support from the University of Winchester Research Knowledge Exchange. 

As part of the project Streetjam the I Scream van is used as a mobile studio, a visual, multi media and performing arts workshop that can involve circus, film, photography, a small cinema, a music centre, a sound installation , a  DJ set and as part of a performance event.  The creation of the mobile workshop allows the company to collaborate with communities, young people, cultural, educational and public sector partners in the development of a wide range of performances, workshops, training , events, and activities.

Fuse deliver high quality street arts practice through working with emergent and professional artists, using existing resources, only where and when they are needed.

The I Scream Van and the Bunting tent are recognisable visual symbols that represented the events that they have become famous for and that created safe spaces for young people to take part in. This was apparent in-particular in the hard to reach areas that fuse work and support that are amongst the highest 5% multi deprivation indices in the UK.

The I Scream Van and mobile circus events is a model of practice that was also developed with the support from the Bridgwater Arts Centre   and the development of the Sedgmoor Circus. The I Scream Van and Little Big Top Circus toured the parks from 2002 - 2011 in Bridgwater and this culminated in the Bridgwater Arts Centre Street Party in 2009 and Bridgwater Christmas Lights On ‘Snow’ themed performance in 2010. 

The I Scream Van is a honey pot for challenging and making activities making circus props  poi, juggling balls, flags and bunting.  Young people of all ages and abilities can take part. For example the I Scream Van mobile street workshops involved teenagers on ‘High Five’ sponsored stilt walks, unicycling and BMX’ers, kangaroo stilts, beat box, street dance, film and fire performances. The van is its own publicity vehicle and draws people out into the parks to share skills, talents and moments together as part of a community. Streetjam is a legacy of a practice developed within Somerset and has inspired a new generation of street artists to engage in new and diverse practices.

Street Jam 2009 - 2011

Street Jam was a project initially set up in North and East Taunton in Somerset in 2009 collaboratively working within a Multi Agency Partnership that involved agencies working together with Taunton Deane Borough Council Youth Liason Group to tackle issues of social and economic deprivation..

Streetjam produced street arts mobile workshops with the I Scream Van and Little Big Top events providing training and activities for young people and emergent artists. Street Jam was and is a concept  developed with young people, for young people and was developed through the practice of street arts and research knowledge exchange supported by the University of Winchester.  The project Street Jam was and is supported by the Arts Council, Taunton Deane Borough Council, National Health Service, Somerset County Council, University of Winchester and by young people and emergent companies. Fuse directors experience of over 30 years professional practice in  international performance, contemporary performance, circus, street theatre, events management, teaching and community arts practice has informed and directed this practice as a research model to develop new innovative work opportunities and contemporary performance.  In 2011 Streetjam was the  first International Street Arts Festival held in Taunton, Somerset. The festival  was supported by the Arts Council and the the University of Winchester. The festival was also supported through project funding in 2009 2010 by Taunton Deane Borough Council, Somerset County Council, Somerset and Avon Police, National Health Service and the Taunton Town Centre Company. The festival and regular events that have emerged are supported by young emerging artists and companies Boxabeat UK, Streetlinkz,  Elementz Street Dance , Escape Parkour, Incendia. Fuse directors support and develop new work with emergent artists and offer professional training, work experience and opportunities.

Streetjam International Street Arts Festival 2011

Street Jam I Scream Van Escape Parkour and Elementz Hamilton Park 2009

Fuse Circus, Street Jam 2009

Energise event, Vivary Park, Taunton

Taunton Town Centre Picnic 2009

Guernica 2011 collaboration University of Winchester and the Fira Tarrega