The Big Work.
Bureau Of Silly Ideas are experts at developing an engaging narrative that is told overtime using a mix of media and combined arts in public spaces. During the creative stages of each project, we nurture local teams to maintain the positive impact on the community.
Our BIG WORK is made with partners, often developed after an initial phase of observation and consultancy. Once created, we then develop the concept further to be re-presented and to tour.
The main aim of our work is to make people chuckle, but we like to use our big work to explore a range of themes. Our shows to date have all been inspired or influenced by at least one of the following; corporate globalisation, community cohesion, causes of social and community impact, political activism and environmental issues.
"Silliness is often the birthplace of genius"
Flick through our current Big Work – hover on the image below
Shakespears Birthplace - Dec 2016
UNITED NATIONS BOARD OF SIGNIFICANT INSPIRATION
presents The Garden of Curious A’MUSE’ments
Since 1947 the United Nations Board Of Significant Inspiration (UNBOSI) have been globally studying sites associated with human genius. We travel the globe visiting sites of inspiration to monitor MUSE. Occasionally we teach the public how to use the power of the planet to create ‘light bulb’ moments, inspiring cooperation and friendship between all nations.
Original Project
A 4 day performance at Shakespeare’s New Place, a Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust site in Stratford-Upon-Avon. It allowed the public to interact with the space in a new way and explore an alternative narrative behind Shakespeare’s work. UNBOSI a fictitious department of the United Nations marked Stratford-Upon-Avon as an area of significant inspiration, the 4 day production gave the public the opportunity to become an unofficial UNBOSI Muse Catcher. By exploring a range of interactive installations (Earth, Fire, Water, Air) audiences were able to harness the power of muse to infuse a keepsake marble with inspiration. The project had the underlying motivation of social cohesion and world peace, the hope is that audiences would take their inspired talisman into the world spread the inspiration and therefore create more positive thought and better ideas.Touring 2017
Stroller Coaster™
Founded in 2013 by Texan Tycoon Ike Eyre XIII, Stroller Coaster™ specializes in entertainment, relaxation, repair and refreshment. We come to the aid of beleaguered parents and carers. Our expertly trained staff take baby and engage baby in an entertaining and educational immersive sensory experience, scientifically proven to aid cognitive development. While parents and stroller can engage in our deluxe pampering package.
Stroller Coaster is out on tour across the UK from June to October 2017, for dates and locations please check our in development page.
Current Project
Developed through The Egg’s Incubator Programme, working closely with early years development specialists and scientists. Stroller Coaster is a multi-layered, performed installation and digital platform. Featuring a specially designed environment, where babies are immersed in a unique visually and aurally stimulating experience. As research into early brain development indicates the more stimulation a baby receives the stronger they develop cognitively. Babies need strong visual contrasts presented to them at a distance of 8-12 inches from their face. Stroller Coaster therefore operates on two distinct levels a piece of tongue-in- cheek theatre for adults (and older siblings) and a genuine educational experience for babies aged 0-18 months.
Touring 2018
THE BURST PIPE DREAM
Big Oriental Squid inc (BOSinc) are globally setting up Giant Squid Farms in seaside towns. In order to do this successfully they need the public’s help as Squid are attracted mammal fear pheromones, the best ones are produced by children.
The Original Production
A 7 day installation built around the story that Brighton would be welcoming Europe’s first Giant Squid Farm in newly developed, Jubilee Square. Created with two core aims in mind, the first being community cohesion - the building of Jubilee Square had overrun and as such caused a discourse in the relationship between construction, public space and community. The second was to respond to the overfishing of our oceans by highlighting the role of corporations, who put profit before the planet. Since it’s conception in 2008, BOSinc has visited a number of towns. The Burst Pipe Dream is currently being redeveloped for a national seaside town tour in 2018.
Currently taking bookings
U.N. PEASCORP AND FOOT PATROL
Blitz Spirt is referenced as a cornerstone to the creation of great communities. The UN PEAS CORPS and FOOT PATROL do all the good bits of a bombing raid replacing death and destruction with fun and creation.
Our drone esque Zeppelin drops rose petals on well deserving sites whist the foot patrol do great deeds and create areas of humorous play.
Original Project
The intent is to reference current military practice, the history of war from the skies and how important it is for communities to work on regeneration projects together, linking to the post war usage of bomb sites.
This project started in response to the need to commemorate World War 1 and was developed in partnership with The National Army Museum and Tilbury Docks. It was during WW1 that the practice of attack from above was invented and seen to be the ultimate weapon.
Some of the interesting facts we learnt during the research for this project 🙂
- The first downing of Zeppelin during WW1 was from guns sited at Tilbury Docks
- There were no sausages in Germany during WW1 because the skins were needed to make hydrogen balloons to put in the Zeppelins
- The first commercial cargo to be docked at Tilbury was sausage skins
- The government removed the right of free speech and started to generate propaganda because the true horror of the first Zeppelin attacks was reported in the newspaper