Open House 2015

OPEN HOUSE 2015 evolved through the company's large scale creative enquiry project, Parklife and continued the ongoing development of new performance concepts, routines and structures to activate public space with high quality circus theatre. The creative team was Orit Azaz - Director, Paul Evans - Choreographer; Ali Williams- Creative Producer, Tarn Atkin- Structures Design, Rhi Matthews-Design, Pete Not Bombs-Sound Design Clare Fitzsimons-Assistant producer & Community Coordinator. Ron Phelan became Music Director, working closely with Robbie Burgess and two brand new band members, Helen Maher and Gina Griffin. New elements included a freestanding swinging trapeze rig, with human ballast, and some significantly reworked routines.

OPEN HOUSE is an unprecedented site-specific project and event, combining high quality circus spectacle, pop up performances, impromptu happenings, open-air public training sessions and workshops and thrilling live music. A brand new genre of outdoor work, OPEN HOUSE embraces communities and citizens with open arms, activates public space with a dynamic collision of spectacular circus and public participation and responds to the specifics of each context to create a magical, memorable and moving experience that is unique to each place.

The experience is suited to audiences and participants of 500 to 2000 people of all ages and all background. it is designed to be family friendly. OPEN HOUSE is an adaptable and versatile project which can be adapted to suit different contexts and it can be delivered as a standalone project over a weekend or integrate a community engagement programme during the weeks that lead up to the public event. The experience runs over 2 hours / twice a day

In 2015 OPEN HOUSE performed in 10 location: Cardiff, Newbury, Doncaster, Walsall, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton, Barking, Stratford (Theatre Square and Olympic Park), Peterborough and Leicester.The local community joined the company for residencies and performances in the 3 Black Country towns , Barking and Doncaster, as part of the Creative People and Places programmes running in those areas.

Over 30,000 people saw Open House during the 2015 tour. This averages at over 1,000 per show, although numbers fluctuated from between 200- 5,000.

The tour was supported by the Arts Council of England’s Strategic Touring Programme.

Here's a link to a blog of the tour Written by Marie Faucher whilst she was an Intern with company during the summer of 2015.

Soundtrack