London: Roger Hartley

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Roger Hartley was one of the inspiring speakers at the London Vision event which hosted the London ‘elemental’ event at Arts Council England, London Office.

Roger Hartley is the Director of Bureau Of Silly ideas

About Roger:

Roger Hartley started out behind the stage as a techie, but one day ventured onstage and decided he quite liked it. Now he combines technical know how and imagination with an innate desire to engage people with the built and being built environment.

He was born in Calgary, Canada in 1966, and then his parents moved back to Wales. He got into photography, then managing grunge bands, then radio, then any kind of film, video or appliance he could get his hands on to create something new.

Since the early 90’s he has worked predominantly in theatre on the street, founding the Bureau Of Silly ideas in 2002 with Claire Horan, and starting work on ‘the burst pipe dream’ a large, long term project using theatrical devices and elements of circus, embedding them into real construction projects changing everyday machinery and situations into exciting possibilities. He is most well known for Sid N’ Nancy the radio controlled wheelie bins, and the amazing Robot Horses.

He is also amazing at losing keys, but only in the process of thinking up some new, fun, theatrical intervention, so it all pans out in the long run.

The presentation:

Roger talked dynamically and comically about the work of the Bureau Of Silly ideas, extremely engaging and funny to summarise here are a couple of bulletpoints about his presentation:

  • Noting is impossible when you work in the Circus – Just awkward heavy and expensive
  • Previous work includes Sid and Nancy (the wheelie bins),
    Burst Pipe dream with Big Oriental Squid Inc.
  • For 2012 BOSi have already started discussions with local Olympic boroughs who now have cultural officers, these changes have made a big difference.
  • Of course, his full presentation is available to download by clicking here.

    Were you at the London event? Have you seen BOSi in action?

    Please use this page or any related pages to make comments generally or about the event, speakers and themes that emerged…make it a place for discussion!


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