Independent Street Arts Network

Independent Street Arts Network
Name	Independent Street Arts Network
Founded	1990s
Type	Arts network
Headquarters	Brighton and Hove
Region served	United Kingdom
Key people	Gary Stevens; Mish Mahony; Paul Hegarty

Independent Street Arts Network

The Independent Street Arts Network was a United Kingdom–based coalition that supported street theatre and community arts groups active in outdoor performance, procession, and spectacle. Founded amid the surge of participatory arts in the 1990s, the network connected practitioners associated with Carnival traditions, mummers plays, and large-scale puppetry, fostering links between grassroots companies, local authorities, and festival organisers. It acted as a hub for training, resource sharing, and advocacy, interfacing with municipal arts officers, venue managers, and national funders.

History

The network emerged in the aftermath of influential events such as the Notting Hill Carnival, the resurgence of Processions in the 1980s and 1990s, and the rise of companies like Junk Ensemble, Vox Humana, Greener Journeys and Royal de Luxe visiting British shores. Early meetings took place alongside gatherings at Glastonbury Festival, Brighton Festival, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where outdoor spectacle intersected with mainstream programming. The 1990s context included policy shifts at Arts Council England, debates around public space in London, and community organising in post-industrial cities such as Bristol and Manchester. Over time the network documented practices used by groups including In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, Bread and Puppet, and European counterparts like Les Arts Sauts and Compagnie La Machine.

Organization and Structure

The network operated as a loose federation rather than a single legal entity, mirroring models used by National Federation of Theatre Societies and regional alliances such as Northern Dance Network. Coordination was achieved through a steering group composed of representatives from member companies, local authority arts officers from councils including Brighton and Hove City Council, and independent producers with ties to Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund. Administrative functions were carried out by project officers collaborating with training partners such as University of the Arts London and Goldsmiths, University of London, while governance drew on best practice from charities like Creative Scotland and umbrella bodies such as UK Theatre.

Programs and Activities

Core activities included professional development, safety and logistics guidance for street spectacle, and a touring exchange model akin to schemes run by British Council and PACE Theatre Company. Training workshops addressed rigging, crowd management, and large-scale puppet construction with input from established companies like Cirque du Soleil alumni and British practitioners from Moving With The Fire and Walk the Plank. The network organised annual conferences and showcases at venues and events including Manchester Carnival, Lewes Bonfire Night, and regional arts centres such as The Brewery Arts Centre and The Albany in Deptford. It produced technical manuals and model contracts influenced by documents from Equity (trade union) and safety guidance from Health and Safety Executive.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Collaborations extended to statutory and cultural institutions: partnerships with Arts Council England funded development strands; liaison with local councils (for example, Bristol City Council and Leeds City Council) enabled borough-wide processions; joint projects with National Theatre outreach teams and BBC Arts increased visibility. International links cultivated exchanges with Festival d'Avignon, La Fête des Lumières, and community arts networks in France, Spain, and Portugal. Educational partnerships included residencies with RADA, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and community learning providers like City Lit.

Impact and Legacy

The network influenced the professionalisation of street arts in the UK by establishing shared standards used by festivals including Shambala Festival, Wilderness Festival, and Green Man Festival. Its emphasis on participatory spectacle informed municipal commissioning strategies in cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, and Newcastle upon Tyne. Alumni of member groups went on to shape national-scale projects—linking to major public commissions like London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and civic processions curated by organisations such as Tate Modern and Southbank Centre. Archives of photographs, technical drawings, and oral histories captured by the network contributed material to collections at institutions like Victoria and Albert Museum and regional archives in Sussex.

Funding and Governance

Funding was mixed: small grants from Arts Council England and local authority arts budgets were supplemented by project-specific awards from Heritage Lottery Fund and sponsorship agreements with private partners. The network advocated for funding models compatible with freelance practitioners represented by Equity (trade union) and campaigned during funding reviews affecting Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Governance remained participatory with rotating chairs and transparent budgeting practices modeled on guidance from charity regulators and umbrella organisations such as Community Arts Network.

Category:Arts organizations based in the United Kingdom Category:Street theatre Category:Arts organizations established in the 1990s