Street Arts Academy
Reclaiming the Streets!
Currently, over 400 young people have engaged in cross art-form activities, each year performing across London in a variety of streets, town centres, parks, local and regional festivals.
The Street Arts Academy was created in order to:
- promote a positive, creative image of young people on the streets of London
- provide opportunities for young people to meet and work with other young people from different cultural and social backgrounds
- give young people skills in team building, communication and confidence in order to help them gain future employment or training opportunities
- give young people the opportunity to work with professional performers from a range of disciplines
- develop a supportive framework of creative activity with potential for increased responsibility and industry experience through the Youth Panel
- produce high impact, dynamic new outdoor performances
- create a young people’s performance group that can perform at local and prestigious locations
- To produce unique and entertaining performances that engage diverse audiences and give young performers a sense of achievement
- To give unsuspecting audiences a chance to engage with street theatre
- To offer young people a chance to build new relationships and work with artists, performers and people from all over London
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To prove to society that young people can create and perform high quality, high impact work
(written in June 2009 by the Street Arts Academy Youth Panel)
Why Street Arts?
Theatre on the street frees the audience and performer from the constraints of the formal setting, creating space for invention, improvisation, interaction and confrontation. This interchange provides moments of sheer creative excellence and absolute joy, moments that are shared in the instant and completely unrepeatable.
The devising process is an equalizer, removing issues of literacy and education and relying instead on participants’ capacity to have ideas, trust their imaginations and share their thoughts with others.
Street Arts offer a release from 'screen based learning' and encourages dynamic 'play' using body and mind.
Testimonials
“It’s real, you can’t hide, you have to deal with the situations spontaneously…it’s a serious challenge, but seriously fun!"
2009 Participant
“It’s terrifying and empowering at the same time!"
2008 Participant
More info
Street Arts Academy is open to young people aged 13 – 19 living in South London. To get involved Contact Us.