Welcome to the Bureau of Silly Ideas.
The Sensible Use Of Silly
Age: Nearly 23 (25 in 2027)
We’re a leading UK outdoor arts not-for-profit, using playful creativity to spark real-world change. From robots in the streets to surprise cabarets, our work gets people smiling, thinking, and talking — the perfect ingredients for starting positive conversations about complex issues.
Working out of railway arches in Brixton we are custodians of one of London’s last dirty making & performing spaces.
Recent Highlights 2024/2025 Season
Brixton & Lambeth communities
leaders & politicians
arts organisations
individual artists
young people & activists
Partner nights with creatives across artforms from Touching Bass, Pirate TV , Outdoor Arts UK and in Autumn 25 we are a Lambeth Festival Fringe venue.
Host to rehearsals & making spaces for artists ranging from Norvil & Josephine, London Institute Of Healthcare Engineering to Brixton Chamber Orchestra.
Club Zed programme supporting 8 local young people develop programming & production skills with pathways into employment.
Internships & work placements in partnership with Lambeth Elevate for 4 young people nurturing transferable skills with pathways into employment.
Public Living Room working with Marcus Lipton Centre creating cohesion and dialogue between 250 locals residents.
Festival bookers
local authorities
developers, CCPs
heritage sites & international
From Glastonbury to Great Yarmouth our robots & side shows have made over 29,000 people smile & chat to each other in Summer 2025 alone.
Without Walls commission Island Storm toured to 6 festivals throughout the UK in Summer 2024.
Technologists
academia, DCMS
policymakers, new tech &
innovation
Development of smile counting with Goldsmiths University as a new currency for measuring impact in public spaces. We are waiting to hear from the Financial Conduct Authority if we can use the work Bank (yes, we really are!)
