out there festival

INTERNATIONAL ACTS LINE-UP FOR CIRCUS & STREET ARTS CELEBRATION IN GREAT YARMOUTH 18-25 Sept 2015

The cream of international circus and street arts make their way to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk from 18 to 20 September this year as the Out There Festival returns to take over the traditional seaside town with a packed weekend of things to see, experience, get involved in and enjoy.

Featuring everything from daring acrobatics and aerial stunts, to dazzling dance and theatre shows, hilarious walkabout acts and spectacular large-scale street theatre, the festival is firmly placing placed Great Yarmouth on the international map.

Now in its eighth year, the Out There International Festival of Circus and Street Arts has become a massive success, attracting audiences of more than 50,000 each year with more than half of those coming from outside the town. Produced by Great Yarmouth based arts charity SeaChange Arts, it is now one of the country’s largest circus and street arts festivals, is certainly the biggest in the eastern region  and has become a key event for visitors and local families.

The festival boasts an incredibly cosmopolitan programme, thanks to SeaChange Arts’ many project partnerships on the continent. The organisation works extensively with partners in France, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium.

“The international flavour is part of what makes Out There so vibrant,” says Chief Executive of SeaChange Arts Joe Mackintosh.  “Continental acts bring a new and exciting perspective to the festival, often working on a massive scale – with thousands lining the streets to witness our headline Saturday night performances.”

“Out There refers to our geographic location, out on the edge of the east coast,” he continues, “but it is also about the approach we take to programming.  We always aim to leave audiences with their mouths agape.  The memory of something weird and wonderful fresh in their mind.”

Centred around St. George’s Park and spreading across the town’s streets, venues and open spaces, Out There brings a mix of comedy, spectacular aerial and walkabout acts.

On Friday Evening C’era Una Volta (Once Upon A Time), from Italian company Ondadurto Teatro, is a spectacular multimedia outdoor show for all ages drawing on fairy tales and legends to create a colourful, enchanting revue combining physical theatre, circus, dance, machinery, fireworks, video and music.

Saturday night’s headline show is Tambours de la Muerte (Drums of Death), by renowned French company Transe Express.  A processional performance, based on the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead, featuring gigantic skeleton puppets, stilt walkers and masked drummers, takes to the night-time streets for a spectacular show featuring acrobatics, dance, music, flames and fireworks.

Voyage Fantastique Lost in Translation
Voyage Fantastique Lost in Translation

Festival favourites Dizzy O Dare are back with Body of Wires, a new wire walking show, co-produced by SeaChange Arts, and Belgium’s Full Stop Acrobatic Theatre use circus, dance and theatre to explore masculinity and femininity in Outside the Box. Lost in Translation Circus, SeaChange’s resident international company, take us on a journey to the moon in Voyage Fantastique and in (i)land Marc Brew dance company try to escape from a desert island.

Out and about on the streets of Great Yarmouth, the Vegetable Nannies will let people help take care of their young vegetable babies, Madame Bonbon will share her words of wisdom with anyone who’ll listen and Italy’s  Mr Mustache is sure to entertain with his new street show.

The Garden on Trafalgar Road is an area dedicated to showcasing brand new work by a quartet of established companies and emerging performers, giving festival-goers the chance to be the first to see the headline shows of tomorrow.

Out There also includes three indoor, ticketed events including a totally unique ‘gameshow’ The Money, at the Tolhouse. There are no actors and no script; instead the audience has 2 hours to unanimously decide how to spend the pot of real money on the table. They can be as creative as they like as long as they keep within the law. Will they donate to charity or could one participant persuade the rest to let him/her take it all?

As well as providing a largely free festival for resident and tourists, Out There is also an important meeting place for people working in the industry.  SeaChange hosts Grow, their second annual symposium event, bringing around 80 leading artists, programmers and producers to Great Yarmouth for discussion and debate on key issues in the sector.

Hedley Swain, Area Director, South East, Arts Council England said: ‘Grow is a great example of how SeaChange Arts is working to establish Great Yarmouth as the UK’s capital for circus. SeaChange has already established a strong infrastructure for street and circus arts through the Out There Festival and its venues, but developing artists and artistic practice is crucial to continued success. Through practical support, continued professional development, innovative and ambitious networks and opportunities, SeaChange has shown strong commitment to developing both the art form and the artists it works with.’

Out There takes place from Friday 18 to Sunday 20 September, with performances taking place throughout the day.  Most shows are free.  Full details at www.outtherefestival.com.

SeaChange Arts are working closely with Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Arts Council England to support the regeneration of Great Yarmouth and to establish the town as an international centre for circus skills and street arts. Already The Drill Hall in Great Yarmouth is becoming a hub for circus companies from all over Europe who use its facilities to create new shows that will tour the world.

Cllr Graham Plant, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council said “The borough council is a key supporter of the festival. As the largest festival of its kind in the east of England, Out There offers something very special and provides yet another reason for people to visit Great Yarmouth late in the season, helping to support the local economy and boost Great Yarmouth’s reputation as a cultural centre. I look forward to another successful event for 2015.”

Gordon Mitchell, Interim Chief Executive, Great Yarmouth Borough Council said “The Out There Festival welcomes world class international talent and also celebrates the town’s diverse populations and nuances.  It is at the same time an immensely cosmopolitan, yet distinctly Yarmouth event.  This two-pronged approach has created a rich, vibrant, multi-layered festival that can be celebrated by local people and visitors alike.  The Borough Council is immensely proud to support its continued growth.”

Out There 2015 performers and shows each day

www.outtherefestival.com

Friday 18 September

BRING ME SUNSHINE Stuff & Things (UK) FREE

New interactive show from street arts experimentalists Stuff & Things Be prepared for the unexpected. Performances take place ‘on the move’ around Great Yarmouth, and will finish at a secret location in the town centre. 3pm

The Money
The Money

THE MONEY Kaleider (UK)  

Drama, deliberation and decision making in this exceptional piece of game theatre. The audience become the actors as they decide how to spend the pot of money sitting on the table before the end of the show. If they don’t reach a unanimous decision the money rolls over to the next show. The Tolhouse, ticketed indoor theatre show 7pm

C’ERA UNA VOLTA (ONCE UPON A TIME) Ondadurto Teatro
C’ERA UNA VOLTA Ondadurto Teatro

C’ERA UNA VOLTA (ONCE UPON A TIME) Ondadurto Teatro (It) FREE

Sensational multimedia outdoor show in which fairy tales and fantasy combine in a circus-noir world where the borders between good and evil are blurred. Marine Parade 9.30pm

Saturday 19 September

BRING ME SUNSHINE Stuff & Things (UK) FREE

New interactive show from street arts experimentalists Stuff & Things Be prepared for the unexpected. Performances take place ‘on the move’ around Great Yarmouth, and will finish at a secret location in the town centre. 3.50pm

WOT? NO FISH!! bread&circuses (UK) Ticketed

The heart-warming true story of a Jewish family living in 20th century London told through the drawings Abe Solomons drew on his wage packet for his wife, every week for over 50 years. Saturday St George’s Theatre, ticketed indoor theatre show 2pm

Out There Festival of Circus and Street Arts, Great Yarmouth
Tambours de la Muerte

TAMBOURS DE LA MUERTE Transe-Express (France) FREE

Somewhere between heaven and hell, fire and fiesta combine in a spectacular street procession celebration of Mexico’s Day of the Dead. 8pm

A FESTA CONTINUA The Party Goes On Kumpania Algazarra (Portugal) FREE

The ultimate feel-good party band from Portugal fusing Balkan rhythms and Latin beats with ska, reggae, funk and Afrobeat to create their own unique sound.

7.30pm & 9.15pm

Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 September daytime events & shows

Free events take place in St Georges Park and around the town centre at various times

BARADA STREET Barada Street / Richard Kimberley (UK and Kyrgyzstan) FREE

Laugh, cry and cheer for these two beautiful idiots in an intimate, playful and hilarious show combining music, acrobatics, humour and elegance.

BODY OF WIRES Dizzy O Dare (UK) FREE

A bewitching blend of ground-up dance and double tightwire. Magic and music combine to conjure up a captivating, provocative and powerful show.

BOOM! Boom Productions (USA) FREE

Circus acrobatics and mask theatre from a wacky cast of characters.

Circus Fergus (Ireland) FREE

Fire juggling, a unicycle and gentle humour create a wonderfully entertaining family show.

COCK-TALES Theater PasParTouT (Germany) FREE

A hilarious trio of comical, magnificently-feathered human-sized chickens strut around playing musical clowning.

EX AEQUO Circus Katoen (Belgium) FREE

Impressive acrobatics and skilful juggling tell the story of two young people sharing a flat.

Funky Fidelma (Ireland) FREE

Comedy, circus skills and acrobatics abound as Funky Fi tries to reach the top of her 5-metre pole.

THE GIANT BALLOON SHOW Dizzy O Dare (UK) FREE

An innovative theatrical experience featuring feverous balloon sculptures, high energy comic performance and the all important giant balloon!

THE HOWALLOPS Lost in Translation Circus (UK) FREE

A vulgar, grotesque family bicker, scheme and play practical jokes in this fusion of fun, fabric and flying bodies.

 

HOLD ON Stefano di Renzo (Italy) FREE

A spectacular display of strength and balance.

(i)land Marc Brew Company (UK) FREE

An outdoor dance performance with original music, exploring themes of identity, isolation and independence.

Johan Lorbeer (Germany) FREE

A gravity-defying ‘still-life’ performance as Lorbeer seemingly floats in mid air against the side of a building.

Cirque du Platzak
Cirque du Platzak

KERMIZ Le Cirque du Platzak (Netherlands) FREE

Discover a world where anything’s possible with this delicious mix of old and new circus, peppered with rousing folk music.

THE LIFT Wet Picnic (UK) FREE

With its comedic wit and British eccentricity this is a surreal experience you won’t forget from an elegant elevator and its attendands.

MADAME BONBON AND HER MANSERVANT NOBBY Cocoloco
Cocoloco MADAME BONBON

MADAME BONBON AND HER MANSERVANT NOBBY Cocoloco (UK) FREE

Madame Bonbon is a barking mad royal personality in a cup cake dress and a dramatically precarious hair-do who wanders around the town spouting batty tongue twisters and ridiculous riddles.

MOTHER SAYS! Ramshacklicious (UK) FREE

A comic musical walk-about in which Jack discovers that the world is not as dangerous as his mother claims.

MR MUSTACHE STREET SHOW Mr Mustache (Italy) FREE

An entertaining street show with magic tricks, interactive games with the audience and juggling.

PROFESSOR PLUNGER Fanzini Brothers (UK) FREE

Clowning from a charming olde-world rogue with a little cheeky grin and an impressively large head of hair.

THE OSS AND THE OX Kate Flatt Company (UK) FREE

A colourful, outdoor processional performance featuring local participants of all ages in which the English Oss (hobby horse) and Brazilian Ox battle on the streets.

OUTSIDE THE BOX Fullstop Acrobatic Theatre (Belgium) FREE

Aerial circus, acrobatics, theatre, dance and crazy stunts challenging ideas of masculinity and femininity.

THE ROSE AND THE THORN JR Circus (UK, Italy, Romania) FREE

In a UK premiere, young performers from Italy, Romania and the UK provide a touching circus reinvention of Shakespeare’s eternal love story.

SHIPWRECKED Circomara Sailing Circus (Ireland) FREE

A sailor finds himself stranded on an uninhabited island and must battle sand and high heights to survive in this blend of comedy and thrilling acrobatic theatre.

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THE VEGETABLE NANNIES Plungeboom (UK) FREE

The Nannies are out for the day, telling tales and proudly showing off their prized collection of Vegetable Babies.

Sunday 20 September only

AT THE END OF EVERYTHING ELSE Make Mend and Do (UK) Ticketed

Live animation, shadow puppetry and sound combine in this charming family show about how friendship can save the planet. St George’s Theatre, ticketed indoor theatre show 2pm

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