Desperate Men is one of the UK’s most experienced artist-led outdoor arts companies, with a 45-year track record of creating original, challenging, and accessible street theatre.
One of the UK’s most versatile and inventive outdoor arts companies, Desperate Men’s mischievous, warm hearted work invites audiences to ask serious questions about the world.
Desperate Men also work as creative producers, integrating ideas and concepts with practical development for arts projects across the UK and Europe.
The work encompasses large scale outdoor and mid-scale street shows and indoor theatre, as well as educational and health initiatives, intercultural explorations, neighbourhood events and science projects.
Risk-taking and innovative, the company enjoys wide respect from peers and promoters for combining contemporary themes and topical content with a provocative, passionate
yet convivial style. Through theatrical interventions and comic interaction Desperate Men connect with all sorts of people – ordinary and extraordinary – in all sorts of places.
DM has produced over 70 original touring shows and animations, various radical ‘one off’ bespoke performances & instigated, directed and produced large scale work with a wide reach and impact.
The most relevant recent work illustrates our capacity for effectively combining intrinsic high-quality outdoor arts with instrumental artistic interventions, community engagement and participation, and in facilitating innovative R&D initiatives.
These include : Severn Project ( 2006-9)
Battle for the Winds ( with Cirque Bijou) in Weymouth for London 2012 Cultural Olympiad,
Wye Valley River Festival ( 2014- 24)
DNA – (with The Natural Theatre & Boomsatsuma) a pioneering 3 year community arts programme ( BANES 2015-17)
Bristol Loves Tides ( 2015-17) for The European Green Capital 2015
‘Souvenir Walk’ for SO Festival Skegness (2018 )
Slapstick and Slaughter (2014-18) – which challenged the boundaries of what is possible and acceptable in contemporary street arts.
Currently touring The Composter (see page 82 ,Part 1 in the OAUK brochure)
They have also starred in there own multi award winning film ‘Washed Up’
Circus, Physical Theatre, Street Theatre, Walkabout
Additional Areas of Focus
Academic/Research, Environmentally Focussed, Family Friendly, Outdoor Arts Sector Development, Participatory
