Brixton Outdoor Arts Programme 2008

Brixton, London: August / September 2008

Commissioned by: The London Borough of Lambeth, Regeneration Dept.

Supported by: Atkins, F.M Conway Ltd, Transport for London

“I’ve been away travelling for 5 weeks... lots of people all over the world have heard of Brixton but many for the wrong reasons. It’s good to know that we’re doing someone to make it a better place for people to live and visit....”

-Audience member

Between April 2008 & February 2009 Brixton has been / will be undergoing major construction works to improve its high street and immediate surrounding areas. The Brixton Town Centre project is part of TfL's £10 billion investment programme to improve London's transport system and enhance the urban environment.

The Regeneration department of the London Borough of Lambeth commissioned the Bureau Of Silly ideas, to produce a 6 week outdoor arts programme to work towards appeasing the disruption that these roadworks are having on the local area and to provide the local community with a celebratory arts programme. BOSi believe that construction works (of all kinds) are a necessary and undervalued part of urban life and were delighted to be working in their home borough on this project.

BOSi produced a series of road work and construction themed street theatre shows which took place along the high street. BOSi also worked with Lambeth Council to provide a community engagement programme to celebrate the Olympic Handover and the launch of The Cultural Olympiad.

Road work and construction themed street theatre:

For this element of the project, BOSi worked under the guise of Brian O’Smellbert industries (BOSi), a research-based aroma specialist team who had been called in to the area to identify and analyse ‘freak aromas’ that had been reported along the high street by the general public.

Throughout September, members of the public were greeted by the bizarre and hilarious sites of acrobats and performers disguised as roadworkers, gathering samples of the unusual aromas that had been reported along Brixton High Street.

During the final weekend of the programme, BOSi developed Light Works, an installation illuminated building sites along the high street, with interactive water and light features. This transformed the work sites into beautiful, captivating installations, and the public were delighted as they were encouraged to stop and engage with the sites as pieces of art.

For more information and pictures about this project, please contact us!