"Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fear...everything conceals something else..."

Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino, 1972

Introduction

'Invisible Cities' is a unique collaborative performance exploring the 'hidden' cities in which we live. Taking its name from the book by Italian author Italo Calvino the inspiration for the piece is the city in which we live, and its buildings and rivers.

Over a period of two weeks at the end of August and the beginning of September 1996 international and local artists gathered together at the disused site of Morpeth Dock, Birkenhead (next to what is now Pacific Road Theatre) to prepare a spectacular performance, never before seen in the UK. The Liverpool based arts charity Brouhaha International had been planning this event for two years in order to ensure that the 'Invisible Cities' festival could be premiered on Merseyside. Brouhaha International worked with Teatro Potlach from Italy, and Kulturclub Untraha from Austria, the instigators of past 'Invisible Cities' festivals, to bring a fantastic mixture of theatre, music, visual art, dance, acrobatics, sculpture, and design together within the boundaries of the Morpeth Dock site. Under the artistic direction of Pino di Buduo from Teatro Potlach, artists of all backgrounds and nationalities worked together towards a final weekend of performances.

Off the Ground documented the main festival and accompanying outreach events using photography, video and multi-media techniques.