RedBall comes to the South West this summer

Tours to: Torbay – Plymouth – Exeter – Weymouth – London
2 June – 2 July 2012

This summer, New York artist Kurt Perschke is bringing his celebrated art project, the fifteen foot inflatable RedBall to the UK. Co-produced by Torbay Council and The Dartington Hall Trust, it arrives on the streets of the English Riviera in Torbay in June. RedBall then tours to Plymouth and Exeter before ending its South West journey in Weymouth. It then travels to London’s South Bank.

RedBall has intrigued and astounded people all over the world, from Chicago to Barcelona, Taipei to Abu Dhabi. The gigantic ball has already been seen in unexpected locations worldwide – squeezed into alleyways and underpasses, inflated in town squares, and squashed into bus shelters and bridge arches. The playful nature of RedBall sparks the imagination across cultures and continents.

During the UK tour, the ball will visit each city, changing location several times. For a short while, neglected spaces will become realms of possibilities as the ball literally squashes into place.

As Perschke says ‘On the surface, the experience seems to be about the ball itself as an object, but the true power of the project is what it can create for those who experience it. As RedBall travels around the world, people approach me on the street with excited suggestions about where to put it in their city.’

RedBall UK is accompanied in Torbay by RedBall: Education a unique project in primary schools which aims to engage children and raise aspirations. Harnessing the children’s passions – sport, music, art, business, fashion, animals, journalism – trained facilitators and artists will work with Year Six pupils as they make the move to ‘big school’. Students will be invited to meet Kurt Perschke and see RedBall for themselves prior to the workshops in their schools. The aim is that they will draw inspiration from RedBall and see that anything is possible.

About Kurt Perschke

Kurt Perschke works in sculpture, video, collage and public space. His most acclaimed work, RedBall Project has travelled to locations including Barcelona, St. Louis, Portland, Sydney, Arizona, Chicago, Toronto and Abu Dhabi, and has received a National Award from Americans for the Arts Public Art Network. Perschke has also completed commissions for institutions including The Museum of Contemporary Art Barcelona, the Vienna Technical Museum, and the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis. Born in Chicago he lives and works in New York City.

Producers, Funders and Partners for RedBall UK

Co-produced by Torbay Council and The Dartington Hall Trust. Funded by Arts Council England – Grants for Arts. In partnership with: Plymouth City Council, Exeter City Council, Weymouth City Council and South Bank Centre, London.

2012 Tour Dates (exact locations to be announced)

• Torbay: 2-5 June
• Plymouth: 8-12 June
• Exeter: 15- 19 June
• Weymouth: 21 – 25 June
• London: 27 June – 2 July

Please visit www.redballproject.com for footage and stories about RedBall and its ongoing world tour.

RedBall UK online

redballproject.com/uk | Twitter: @redballproject
www.redballuk.co.uk | Twitter: @RedBallUK | Flickr RedBall