Quality streets

I assume the writer of AP’s front page (AP172) was referring to the one-sided debate that raged at the turn of the year, when many in the theatre sector protested that outdoor work did not deserve investment at the expense of the building-based sector. David Edgar made it a stark choice between the two in his piece for the Guardian, going as far as to state that the evidence in favour of investment in outdoor arts was based on “lots of young of young people coming out of university drama departments wanting to do it”.

There is nothing as sad or as futile as one artform arguing that it is more important than another. Independent Street Arts Network (ISAN) entirely rejects this premise – we simply argue that outdoor arts deserve investment because there is so much talent waiting to be developed and we believe that the Zeitgeist is with us. We feel it is unnecessary to rubbish the work of others in order to justify our position. If I go and see a bad play, should I assume that all plays are bad and never visit the theatre again? There are many examples of outdoor arts presenting high quality, inspiring and ground-breaking work by talented professionals. Companies such as Whalley Range All Stars, NoFit State Circus and The World Famous produce beautifully crafted and unique work that tours successfully in the UK and Europe. It is the success of these companies, who have succeeded with modest investment, that encouraged Arts Council England to invest in the outdoor arts sector.

Over the last few weeks, along with tens of thousands of festival visitors, I have witnessed first hand the blossoming of talent in outdoor arts at events such as Xtrax in Manchester and Paradise Gardens in London. I have every confidence that the sector is at its strongest ever: a number of companies stabilised with Arts Council funding are able to be more ambitious with their work, along with festivals, which have the resources to present work of all scales. Street arts events happening this summer will engage with millions of people. This does not mean a case of quantity over quality. In fact the quality bar has never been higher with shows featuring international artists, UK premieres, complex site-specific installations and work that challenges audience perceptions.

Street arts events attract many who might not otherwise attend an arts event – and audience numbers continue to increase. The Lakes Alive festival, for example, includes roadshows to Cumbrian villages. For many residents, this will be their first experience of outdoor performance and the event presenters are certainly planning for it to be one born of quality. The fact that outdoor arts reaches new audiences is not lost on Arts Council England. Their outdoor arts development plan ‘New Landscapes’ sets out a bold, long-term commitment to the sector, which is extremely encouraging. It sets out a series of priorities, recommendations and actions to develop the outdoor arts sector over the next three years. Those working in the sector hope that the New Landscapes development plan will lead to street arts receiving the sustained investment and recognition it deserves.