Taking theatre outdoors (in Cambridge)

Taking theatre outdoors (in Cambridge)

Elaine Midgley, 29 September 2012

Needs to be bottom up rather than top down.
Could use many other non-central spaces to deliver performances e.g. Mill Road Cemetery?
Could the Council have a commissioning budget to create work from companies that otherwise might not work locally?
Is The Big Weekend too much of a showcase platform (top down) and not actually from the grassroots up i.e. devised from the needs of the community?
New CIL could present more opportunities to develop new activities in the city. Could the Council do more to simply talk to communities and make them aware of artist opportunities / networks / potential for the arts to support their needs?

Tags:

community, Council, Outdoors, outdoors, Big Weekend, networks, commissioning, Local, Community, local, outdoor

Comments: 1

Hugh Chapman, 28 November 2012

Hi Elaine,

Interesting to read this. Do you know the work of In Situ Theatre http://www.insitutheatre.co.uk/ and Field Theatre Group http://fieldtheatregroup.btck.co.uk/? In Situ are Cambridge-based and have been making work outdoors for many years. I saw their production of ‘Wild’ at Wandlebury Ring this Summer which was excellent. Field are based out in Littleport and

have made a good deal of work about the Fens and Fenland History. I'm in touch with them both at the moment about the possibility of collaborating on an Escalator Outdoor Arts proposal. It's too soon in our discussion to apply this year but maybe next year or the year after that. I really like the idea of doing something in Mill Road Cemetary.

All best,

Hugh