Without Walls Announce New Touring Commissions 2018 For Artistic Excellence And Innovation In UK Outdoor Arts

Without Walls has been awarded Arts Council England (ACE) National Portfolio Organisation status 2018 – 2022; fantastic recognition for the value of exceptional outdoor performances; enabling on-going commissioning of radical, surprising and thrilling outdoor work to attract more people to free events* in places where they live, work and play.

Without Walls World Premiere at Brighton Festival is Bicycle Boy by Helen Eastman Production, a pedal-powered musical for children aged 6 – 10 and their families. A national touring commission is Modern Warrior by Rosie Kay Dance Company a group dance and martial arts stand-off from the company that won Best Independent Dance Company in 2015 by the National Dance Awards and is nominated again for 2018.

Josephine Burns, Chair of Without Walls said: ‘The 2018 Without Walls programme includes circus, dance, theatre and installations that will thrill, inspire and entertain audiences of all ages across. Since 2008, Without Walls has supported the creation of over 100 new shows that have toured to free events across the UK, as well as toured internationally to some of the world’s major arts festivals. Now with funding from Arts Council England as a National Portfolio Organisation, we will continue to deliver the ambitious work for which we are known, alongside a bigger programme of development work that will have a lasting impact in the quality, range and distribution of outdoor arts across the globe for years to come. We are delighted to announce this artistically ambitious programme at the prestigious Brighton Festival, one of our longest standing partners, with whom we share a commitment to the development of high-quality outdoor arts for everyone’.

New Without Walls outdoor commissions showing in 2018 at include Dedicated to… by Candoco Dance Company, a touching contemporary dance duet by critically acclaimed company of disabled and non-disabled dancers; The Bewonderment Machine by A Bird in the Hand Theatre, an artist-built cycle powered carousel with riding space for up to10 small children; WIRED by Flex Dance Company, a solo dance and parkour performance by George Williams who in 2015 became the first dancer with a learning disability to tour with the National Youth Dance Company of England; Look Up by Hikapee, family friendly aerial circus and performance that reveals the marvel of nature when we ‘look up’; The band at the end of the world! by Ramshacklicious, a promenade performance with raucous brass music and a home-made water spurting, flaming processional vehicle and The Playground of Illusions by Travelling Light Circus, three giant steampunk machines with awe-inspiring visual and sound illusions within!

Additional Without Walls 2018 commissions touring UK festivals from May – September 2018 are: Belly of the Whale by Ockham’s Razor, the first outdoor show created by the critically acclaimed company who won the Total Theatre Award for Circus at Edinburgh Festival in 2016; The Hum by Flexer & Sandiland, a free downloadable digital app that will guide audiences through the choreography of everyday people around them; dip by Max Calaf Sevé, extraordinary trampoline acrobatics with live brass, electronic and percussion; Mirror Mirror by Mind The Gap, a costumed walk-about by two strange mirrored people, from one of Europe’s leading learning disability theatre companies and Routes by Theatre Témoin, an outdoor interactive installation performance that brings refugee, migrant and native British voices into conversation in the public sphere.

Without Walls new commissions full programme list 2018 (by Genre/ Artistic Theme)

Installation and Family-friendly performances

• A Bird in the Hand Theatre – The Bewonderment Machine (pedal-powered carousel)
  A brand new theatre company combining the talents of puppet maker and director Alison Duddle and puppeteer extraordinaire Mark Whitaker. The Bewonderment Machine is an artist-built cycle powered carousel with riding space for up to 10 small children. A quirky dreamscape and magical miniature theatrical flight.
• Helen Eastman Production – Bicycle Boy (Family friendly musical)
  A bicycle-powered musical for children aged 6 – 10 and their families. Sam and Mike loved their bikes as youngsters and pretended to be superheroes. Now grown-up, they’re clearing out their grandad’s old bike workshop and sharing childhood dreams with laughs, songs, and percussion played on spare bike parts. A celebration of pedal power!
• Mind The Gap – Mirror Mirror (Walkabout, theatre)
  A costumed walk-about production popular with all ages. Two strange mirrored beings have crash landed on Earth. They know nothing of human behaviour so are curious to learn from you! Will they mimic compassion, humour and kindness or show a darker, more selfish side of humanity? And what will happen when they meet someone who society sees as different? Mind The Gap is one of Europe’s leading learning disability theatre companies.
• Ramshacklicious – The band at the end of the world! (Processional music and theatre)
  Raucous brass music, processing with a home-made, water-spurting, flaming, roaming vehicle. A punk marching band existing within their very own miniature apocalyptic microclimate. These idiots are convinced that the end of the world is upon us – how do we take responsibility for the world we live in?
• Theatre Témoin – Routes (Installation and theatre)
  Outdoor interactive installation theatre mixing recorded stories within immersive spaces and live street performance, that brings refugee, migrant and native British voices into the conversation in the public sphere.
• Travelling Light Circus – The Playground of Illusions (Installation)
  Play with three giants toys which each contain a visual or sound illusion! Inspired by steampunk and using vintage industrial machines to make quirky gadgets with levers to pull, buttons to push and pedals to press. – An unforgettable and fascinating experience for all ages which will ignite your imagination.

Dance of all ages

• Candoco Dance Company – Dedicated to… (Contemporary dance from disabled and non-disabled performers)
  Critically acclaimed company of disabled and non-disabled dancers. This new duet choreographed by Caroline Bowditch, reveals the extraordinary bonds we make throughout our lives. A touching portrayal of female strength, support and friendship and how people come in and out of our lives and evolve and can shape us.
• Flex Dance Company – WIRED (Solo dance and parkour)
  Solo performance by George Williams who in 2015 became the first dancer with a learning disability to tour with the National Youth Dance Company of England. From the comfort of his bedroom, George forges connections to all that is special to him: Music, games, the world-wide-web and more. At times a hive of activity, at others a sanctuary, Everyday objects can become a playground. It’s hard to focus when you’re this wired!
• Flexer & Sandiland- The Hum (Walkabout trail with free digital app)
  Experience the choreography of everyday people on the streets of the city. Via your smartphone, a collection of voices guide you through often overlooked locations, commenting on and embellishing the events taking place before your very eyes. Download the free app, plug in your headphones and follow the trail.
• Rosie Kay Dance Company – Modern Warrior (Dance and martial arts)
  Fast-paced urban takeover inspired by martial arts movies with exciting and dramatic sequences as two opposing groups meet in an epic stand-off. Pick a side, join either the Mods (Modernists) or the Trads  (Traditionalists) and train to be a MODERN WARRIOR. Join in and become part of the action or simply watch as the legend unfolds. Rosie Kay Dance Company won Best Independent Dance Company in 2015 by the  National Dance Awards and is nominated again for 2018 with winners announced on 19 February.

Circus for all ages

• Hikapee – Look Up (Family friendly aerial circus, theatre and puppetry)
  A beautiful, highly visual and inspiring performance of circus, puppetry and theatre for families. When we are constantly glued to our mobile phones, what joy can we find when we dare to look up and appreciate nature.
• Max Calaf Sevé – dip (Acrobatics and live music)
  Combining highly skilled trampoline acrobatics and live brass, electronic and percussion music; a creation for all ages. Expect light-hearted, breath-taking, air-twists and funky tunes with a good dose of humour.
• Ockham’s Razor – Belly of the Whale (Installation, aerial theatre)
  Circus meets sculpture in the first outdoor show created by critically acclaimed company Ockham’s Razor, winners of the Total Theatre Award for Circus at Edinburgh Festival in 2016. The performers’ ride a giant semi-circular see-saw of wood and steel which creaks and groans as it transforms from a catapult, a rocking cradle, a tunnel to a slide.