10 Years of 101

From a warehouse on a former US nuclear airbase outside the town, 101 Outdoor Arts has grown to be a unique powerhouse of creativity, supporting the creation of hundreds of performances and installations destined to be presented in festivals, major arts events and cultural programmes across the country.

To celebrate ten years as a national creation centre and sector leader in the field of outdoor arts, 101 presented two major events:

Ablaze
13-15 Sep 2024
A fiery, canalside promenade along the Kennet & Avon Canal with legendary French company Carabosse, anticipated to attract approximately 10,000 people. Find out more.

Reflect. Reimagine. Redefine
27 Nov 2024
A day programme of roundtable discussions contributing to a sector-wide strategy with fellow national outdoor arts organisations OutdoorArtsUK and Without Walls. An evening programme of celebratory feasting, performances and music! Find out more.

The success of 101 has been made possible by support from Arts Council England and Greenham Trust.

What have we been up to over the last decade?

In the last 10 years, 101 has become the principal UK centre supporting the creation of arts projects in public spaces. In that time, we have become a national hub for innovation and talent development. We are a unique space for residencies, dialogue, collaboration and learning, with a year-round programme of artistic residencies, professional development events (Labs & Symposia), and funded artist development programmes (Seedbed Residencies and Take It Outside).

Outdoor Programme

101 is well known in Newbury for producing a year-round, free programme of national and international performances as part of the Corn Exchange’s outdoor arts programme.

This year, we're thrilled to welcome back the legendary French company Carabosse for Ablaze 2024, where they’ll ignite the Kennet & Avon Canal with their stunning fire installations. This event harkens back to the original Ablaze in 2013, which was created by a team of artists and musicians to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Newbury Corn Exchange.

As part of our commitment to fostering creativity, we support the development of new shows through our residency programme, showcasing them later as part of Newbury’s Outdoor Programme. Past examples include Lives of Clay by The Clay Connection, Bonded by Alleyne Dance, The Band at the End of the World by Ramshacklicious and 451 by Periplum (Brighton). At other times, we bring large-scale national and international acts to Newbury, such as Fire Garden by Carabosse (France), Peixos by Sarruga (Barcelona), THE PEOPLE’S TOWER, Olivier Grosstête and team (France) and SENSE OF UNITY by Dundu and Worldbeaters (Germany and UK).

This year, Carabosse returns to rekindle the magic of Ablaze, promising another unforgettable experience.

Find out more about our Outdoor Programme here.

Working with the Community

Community is at the heart of 101’s Outdoor Programme, with volunteers who help steward our outdoor events, working alongside our professional team, and community groups across Newbury getting involved with creative projects. For example, local refugees performed in Mo & The Red Ribbon by L’Homme Debout; 16–18-year-olds for a show about knife crime called CODE by Justice in Motion at Greenham Community Centre and Riverside Community Centre; and 30 women who took part in Women and Power by Brave New Worlds a project which brought together a group of intergenerational local women to explore Greenham Common’s political history.

101 also produces the town’s much-loved annual Festival of Light lantern event, for which we run community lantern making workshops at 101 in the lead up to the event.