Public space

Public space is the part of the programme that takes place where people already are: in squares, courtyards, on the pavements and along the riverbank, rather than inside a gallery or a hall.

Work of this kind changes the terms of the encounter. There is no ticket, no seat and no announcement before the curtain — the audience is made of whoever happens to pass, and the piece has to hold them without any of the conventions of a theatre. Much of what the festival is known for locally comes from this section.

Projects in the strand are usually made for one particular place. A courtyard, a stretch of embankment or a tram stop is chosen first, and the piece is built around what is already there, which is why the same work rarely travels to another city unchanged.

Locations and hours are listed in the programme; admission to this part of the festival is free.