Fantasy High Street is an arts organization that transforms public spaces like high streets through interactive performances and installations. In 2015-2016, they created 7 site-specific projects across London engaging over 87,000 audience members. Notable projects included 2,000 "Talking Tulips" in Leicester Square and adventure trails in locations like Crystal Palace and London Bridge City. The organization continues to grow its team and partner with local organizations to deliver unique arts experiences to communities.

1. 2015 - 2016
ANNUAL REPORT

2. Fantasy High Street is an arts organisation that celebrates the local high street as an essential
community hub. By placing performance and visual artists in businesses, high streets and public
spaces within town centres, we create magical interactive events which transform everyday
spaces into playgrounds for the imagination, providing residents with adventures in the heart of
their communities.
We also work with artists to transform everyday shops into 'experiential' mind-boggling
enterprises, creating inspirational, high quality arts projects that defy imagination, whilst
exploring the values of public space.
ABOUT US
Our mission is to provoke, question and contribute to the on-going debate – what is the future
of the high street?
Our aims are:
• To use creativity to explore the social, economic and cultural values of the high street
• To make extraordinary artistic ventures possible and delivering them to the highest standard
• To inspire innovation in social enterprise through mutually supportive arts/business
partnerships
• To reach new audiences through experiential arts adventures in public space
• To offer unique audience experiences which wouldn’t otherwise be possible
OUR AIMS

3. 2015-2016 proved to be another successful year for Fantasy High Street, marking a period of
substantial growth, both in turnover and creative project delivery.
Seven site specific projects were created for locations across London including the revival of our
2014 project The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in Southfields, for the Wandsworth Arts Festival, with
a brand new partner Enable Arts and Leisure.
Three brand new outdoor events were delivered for our existing client London Bridge City,
further developing the ongoing work with their central London Estate team. This featured two
adventure trails and a lighting installation for London Bridge City Pier.
We also revisited Crystal Palace Overground Festival to deliver a research project with our
academic partner King’s College London. This included an adventure trail around shops and
outdoor arts events using cutting edge RFID touch sensor technology.
We forged a brand new relationship with West Euston Partnership, a local organisation close
to our office premises in Warren Street. This delivered free arts activities for children at their
West Euston Community Festival, as well as with Heart of London Business Alliance to deliver
our most ambitious project to date. The installation of 2,000 ‘Talking Tulips’ for Leicester
Square was seen by an estimated 60,000 people. We were also once again shortlisted for a Best
Performing Arts Project Award by Southwark Arts Forum for our work in Nunhead the previous
year.
Compared with combined figures for accounting periods to Nov 2014 and to April 2015 (covering
our first 16 months of trading) our turnover increased by 26% even though the period was four
months shorter. Our number of creative projects also increased by 17% based on the previous
twelve month period.
SUMMARY OF THE YEAR

4. MAD HATTER'S
T E A PA R T YWandsworth, May 2015
Following its success in 2014, our Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
returned to London for the Wandsworth Arts Festival 2015.
Celebrating the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland’ the production combines
storytelling with cakes, singing and games hosted by 2
characters from Wonderland. This family orientated interactive
event is ideal for young children under 12.

5. • Number arts activities involved: 1 (1 show x 3 performances)
• Total of event days running: 1
• Total of audience members: 50
• Total of audience feedback recieved: 21
• Total of community workshops: 1 (Storytelling at local library)
• Number of participants attended: 15
• Number of local businesses engaged: 1 (Southfields Library)
• Number of artists worked with: 3
• Number of volunteers: 4
SUMMARY OF THE EVENT
"I loved your performance. You are
totally mad!" - Audience Member
"Thank you we loved it!"
- Audience Member

6. TALKING TULIPSLeicester Square, London, May 2015
Talking Tulips was a brand new installation created for Leicester
Square, commissioned by Heart of London Business Alliance.
Containing 2,000 artificial tulips and using an innovative
combination of visual arts and trigger-sensor technology, we
created a series of characterful flowers who talked at passers-by
about the history of Leicester Square. Some flowers also greeted
people in numerous languages and one group sang as a flower
choir together.

7. • Number arts activities involved: 1 (Installation of 10 boxes of
talking flowers in Leicester Square)
• Total of event days running: 4
• Total of audience members: 60,000 (est.)
• Number of local businesses engaged: 1 (Heart of London
Business Alliance)
• Number of artists worked with: 3
• Number of volunteers: 8
SUMMARY OF THE EVENT

8. C A R R I E R
C R O W SCrystal Palace, June 2015
The Carrier Crows adventure trail included RFID
wristbands which enabled visitors to navigate
their way around the Overground Festival and
local high street by triggering clues located
at a number of digital readers. Along the way
adventurers received special discounts in
independent shops and VIP arts experiences
including free drawing classes and workshops
with artists.

9. • Number arts activities involved: 1 (wristband trail)
• Total of event days running: 2
• Total of audience members: 111 (wristband wearers)
• Total of audience feedback recieved: 15(via surveymonkey conducted on wristband readers)
• Number of local businesses engaged: 6 (Bambinos, Papagaio, Vintage Hart, Blackbird Bakery, Bookseller Crow, Smash Bang Wallop)
• Number of artists worked with: 6
• Number of volunteers: 2
SUMMARY OF THE EVENT

10. WELL BEING
WORKSHOPWest Euston Community Fest, Sept 2015
Our artists delivered a range of free arts and crafts
workshops for children and families. Teaching
participants how to create paper flowers, origami
birds, heart decorations, butterflies and kites, all
the projects were focused on wellness, happiness
and giving.

11. • Number of arts activities involved: 1
• Total of event days running: 1
• Total of audience members: 300 (est.)
• Total of community workshops: 1
• Number of participants attended: 50
• Number of local businesses engaged: 1
• Number of artists worked with: 5
• Number of volunteers: 5
SUMMARY
OF THE EVENT

12. ELPLESS
E L V E S
T R A I LLondon Bridge City, December 2015
Building on the success of Easter Egg event,
we created a series of miniature installations,
clues and performers around London Bridge
City and More London, for children and families
to discover as they explored the area as part of
festive activities in the area.

13. • Number of arts activities involved: 1
(1 event trail performed 10 times)
• Total of event days running: 2
• Total of audience members: 160
• Number of local businesses engaged:2
(More London, Broadgate Estates)
• Number of artists worked with: 3
• Number of volunteers: 2
SUMMARY
OF THE EVENT

14. P A G O D A
L I G H T SLondon Bridge City,
Nov 2015 – Jan 2016
A light installation created specifically for the
two riverside pagodas at London Bridge City
Pier. Delivered as part of the area’s Christmas
Market activities, our light installation
transformed this underused area of the Thames
Footpath and drew attention to two of its
permanent features through a distinct, ever
changing light display.

15. • Number of arts activities involved: 1
• Total of event days running: 39
• Total of audience members: 19,500 (est.)
• Number of local businesses engaged: 2
(More London and Broadgate Estates)
• Number of artists worked with: 2
• Number of volunteers: 3
SUMMARY OF THE EVENT

16. EASTER
E G G
T R A I L
London Bridge City, March 2016
Returning for a second year, children and adults
alike enjoyed following clues and meeting
characters along this interactive trail to find
chocolate eggs hidden around Hays Galleria,
More London and the Unicorn Theatre.

17. "I loved when we met the captain"
- Audience Member
"Lots of clues and fun!" - Audience Member
• Number of arts activities involved: 1
(adventure trail x 5 performances)
• Total of event days running: 1
• Total of audience members: 89
• Total of audience feedback recieved: 45
• Number of artists worked with: 4
SUMMARY OF THE EVENT

18. The Fantasy High Street team continues to grow with regular freelancers, artists and performers
returning time and again to work with us on projects. We operate from our office at The Crypt Centre
near Warren Street as an associate company of Diorama Arts. Creative Director Lydia Fraser-Ward
currently works from the office 3 days per week; additional team members including production
assistants and interns ensure there is a regular flow of creative talent passing through the
organisation, whilst also enabling us to pass on training and work experience opportunities to
emerging young talent.
Additional support is provided by freelance Production Managers, Producers, Artists, Technicians
and Stage Managers. Our ongoing relationship with King’s College continues to flourish with a new
fully-funded research project in Crystal Palace this summer and a jointly written chapter for a new
publication called "Focus on World Festivals".
OUR TEAM
Fantasy High Street has already negotiated partnerships with Wandsworth Council and Team
London Bridge for projects in 2016-17. The company has also recieved funding from The High Street
Challenge at Southwark Council to deliever a brand new arts project in Lordship Lane high street in
summer 2016.
FUTURE CLIENTS
• Number of projects: 7
• Number of event days: 50
• Number of free creative workshops delivered: 2
• Estimated number of audience members: 87,972
YEAR END AT A GLANCE