What is the relationship between theatre and gentrification in twenty-first century London? How do fringe theatres survive in an increasingly expensive neoliberal city? What role does urban redevelopment play in a theatre's past, present, and future?
Join creative practitioner Dan de la Motte on this free walking tour exploring over 100 years of urban development in Camden, brought to you by the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama's Impact Accerlation Account.
Inspired by research undertaken as part of the European Research Council-funded project "Theatre and Gentrification in the European City", this tour will uncover the relationship between theatre and urban change in an area with a rich cultural history.
Taking the Camden People's Theatre as a starting point, you will gain insights into some of London's most innnovative contemporary fringe theatres, their architecture, history, and infrastructure. You will also explore Camden, Euston, and Somers Town's history of resistance to urban redevelopment and encounter their present (and future) challenges.
This is a unique opportunity to take a deep dive into London's fringe theatre history, looking behind-the-scenes at what makes theatre work in a bustling twenty-first century city.
Meeting point: Camden People's Theatre, 58-60 Hampstead Road, NW1 2PY
Start time: 11:00am
Duration: 90 minutes. Please arrive 10 minutes before the start time.
About the Artist
Dan de la Motte is a freelance Creative Practitioner from London. Dan’s practice is broad, encompassing acting, community engagement, working with children and young people, and the curation of queer walking tours across London. He is co-Artist-in-Residence at St Margaret's House and an elected Equity councillor. Dan researches and delivers tours for Queer Tours of London and is an Associate for Hackney-based Unity Arts. He also works regularly with Brooklyn Rep, and with the eco-warrior bearded drag lady Timberlina on musical nature-themed pieces for children.
In addition to his performance-based work, Dan is a part-time PhD student at Queen Mary University, exploring 'performance-based co-creation with young people as a form of political activism' with specialist focus on the work of Fevered Sleep.
About the Project
"Theatre and Gentrification in the European City" is a five-year research project funded by the European Research Council‘s Consolidator Grant Program (THEAGENT [#1010437490]). You can find out more about the project here.
