Ian Smith was among a new breed of performance artists to emerge in the 1970s – an era that saw the likes of Julian Crouch and Phelim McDermott begin testing the non-traditional theatrical waters, along with companies like Forkbeard Fantasy. Like Crouch and McDermott – who collaborated in the ‘90s to form Improbable – and to an extent, Forkbeard Fantasy, Smith’s work is winning increased recognition and becoming more and more popular as audiences and events seem more willing to embrace the ‘quirky’ than they may have 20 to 30 years ago.
Getting up to Mischief
From rockets embedded in railway bridges to outdoor performance art that tames even the most rebellious of delinquents, Ian Smith's Mischief La Bas company functions to 'gently disrupt the underlying fabric of society'. Now, armed with a £75,000 grant to develop the company's latest show and tour it throughout Europe, Smith can't wait to do some disrupting abroad.
17 Jul 2003
[This is archived content and may not display in the originally intended format.]
Want more content?
Get free newsletters full of the best in UK arts jobs and more delivered to your inbox!