FROM OUR ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: BELL SQUARE’S 10TH BIRTHDAY

Ten years ago, in June 2014, Bell Square was born! It was London’s only purpose-designed space for outdoor performance - and it still is!  

A few events on Hounslow High Street had proved very popular and, at the same time, the town centre was due to have a make-over. We had pitched the rather bold idea that the redevelopment of the High Street should include a permanent outdoor arts space, capable of presenting the best of international performance, similar to many of the most exciting squares across Europe. Hounslow Council and the Greater London Authority, who were funding the works in the town centre, supported the idea in a really quite visionary way.

Whilst attracting visitors to the town centre from elsewhere would always be positive, Bell Square was designed for Hounslow.  It is unusual in having a regular programme of events – rather than a festival for a few days each year – so local people could enjoy performances throughout the summer.  It was always going to focus on bringing our many different communities together to experience something special together.

And its name, of course, reflects exactly where it is – next to Bell Corner, Bell Road, The Bell pub, and with the old bell still standing at the entrance to the Square. The history of this area dates back centuries. As the old stage coaches travelled from the south west up to York, the bell signalled to them to stop at the toll gate. Highwaymen lived on Hounslow Heath and lurked nearby to stop and rob the stage coaches as they slowed for the toll point.

One of Hounslow’s most notorious highwaymen was the Frenchman, Claude Duval. Reputedly, he held up the coaches and insisted that the ladies stepped out and danced with him, before robbing their husbands and sending them on their way.

Hounslow’s new outdoor performance space could only ever have been called Bell Square. And the ritual of ringing the bell for 5 minutes is a regular signal to everyone ‘in the know’ that a performance is about to begin.

That opening night, back in June 2014, was wonderful. As with most building projects, I remember chasing the builders and their bulldozers off the Square just hours before the first performance was due to start. But it was a beautiful summer evening and the French dance company, Bilbobasso, performed their extraordinary fire show, with sparks and pyrotechnics lighting up the High Street like never before.

At the time, few people ventured into Hounslow town centre after 6.00 pm. Once the shops shut, a fairly rough atmosphere prevailed. Everyone told us that nobody would come to a performance in Hounslow town centre at night. But they were wrong. On that first night, at 10.00pm, the first show started - and the new Bell Square was packed.

People say that the events changed people’s perception of the town centre and made it feel ok to come to the High Street at night. There have certainly been many, many night-time shows and they have all been very popular.

They have also made the High Street feel like a social place, somewhere to meet people and just hang out. As high streets across the country have changed over the past decade, the events at Bell Square have been an important anchor for Hounslow town centre, its residents and its visitors.

Firebirds and Flame Flowers present Pyrodise

This Saturday, we celebrate Bell Square’s 10th birthday. And, mirroring the fabulous Bilbobasso performance on that first June night, what better than another stunning fire show!

Welcome the equally wonderful Firebirds from Hungary with their gorgeous fire and circus show, Pyrodise.

Come and celebrate Bell Square’s 10th birthday!  Pyrodise starts at 9.30pm when it is dark and the fire looks its most spectacular.  As always, you don’t need a ticket and it’s free for everyone – just turn up and join us.

Regular attendee Eva talks about the ‘You’ve Been Bell Squared’ Effect

I remember my first visit to Bell Square was to watch Carousel last year – it was close to sunset and there was a actually a circus carousel in the middle of the brick-paved square.

I witnessed a most unusual phenomenon which transformed the local environment, brought people together for something really impactful and turned a normal day into something extraordinary.

That was Bell Square; the invisible theatre – you don’t know it exists until it magically pops up in front of you – creates a huge impact and then disappears again.  It’s as ethereal as the Cheshire Cat but whenever I go to see a performance or when I take other people along, I always feel I’ve been ‘Bell-Squared’ and so do they.

So what is the 'Bell Square effect'? It’s a very positive thing – it puts the shine back in your eyes and a beat in your heart.  It’s really quite hard to pin down the ‘je ne sais quoi-ness’ of it all, but if I was to try and articulate it, I would say it’s more about the eclectic mix than any one particular thing.

During the week, Bell Square is a somewhat mundance, paved red brick area which is transformed every other Saturday into an outdoor arts space, in the round with ‘pop up’ wooden seats. Hundreds of people arrive and gather in the space – all ages, backgrounds and nationalities are eager to see what’s on. Before each performance, a very loud bell tolls for five minutes – it sounds ominous almost but it’s certainly not, it’s the klaxon for people to assemble, the invisible curtain to rise and the company of performers to begin their show.

This is where the magic happens – it may be a company of contemporary dancers putting on something hard hitting, a social commentary like Company Chameleon with their show Of Man and Beat. Alternatively, it might involve walking round Hounslow with Tilted Productions to watch scenes of Belonging(s) play out in unusual settings such as a car park or beside a tower block.

Whatever is on, the ringing bell marks the start of an absorbing journey which may last up to an hour or more. Many of the performers are outdoor arts groups who also perform in theatres – there is something very special about these outside shows – there are no walls, there are no barriers, there is no stage. Many of the performers are happy to speak with the audience afterwards; it’s as if they are important as the players themselves to the success of the event.

What all of these performances have in common is they captivate the audience and everyone is drawn in momentarily and that experienced is shared. Whether it’s dance, acrobatics or theatre, there is a connection made between the public and the performers.

No matter how I’m feeling when I arrive, when I leave, I always feel like I’ve been part of something powerful and transformative and that I’ve learned something about life and the world through these powerful performances. It’s an incredibly powerful and uplifting experience.

Are you ready to be Bell Squared?

To keep up with upcoming events, visit our What’s On pages here

And if you are attending Bell Square events – don’t forget to share your experiences on social media using the #BellSquareLDN hash tag.