All These Things: A break from the Fringe's norm

• Gareth K Vile
• 31 July 2018

This article is from 2018

ZOO Venues' mini festival features more than 20 artists from across the UK and Europe

All These Things at ZOO Venues is a mini festival of experimental and transgressive performance featuring more than 20 artists from across the UK and Europe. 'The focus is to provide a platform for performance work that may struggle to find a venue at the Fringe, maybe due to form, length or content,' says co-director Adam Young. Running at 12 hours, this project from the Live Art Bistro (LAB) crosses two venues under one ticket and is closer to a grass-roots performance happening than the Fringe's familiar arrangements.

Financial risk – for both artists and audience – has been replaced by aesthetic experimentation. LAB refined the format in events across the UK to champion live art – a more flexible and personal variation on traditional theatre. All These Things, as Young explains, 'gives the room for audiences to stay with the work rather than trying to capture an idea in a black box theatre and push the audience out to the next performances.'

Featured artists include Sara Zaltash and her exploration of the presence of Islam in contemporary performance, Naked Balloon Party and Shit Theatre's creche for adults who need to be pampered. As Young concludes, this is a unique event which 'will include experiences you won't find anywhere else'.

ZOO Venues, Wed 15 Aug, 5pm, £20 (£17).