Dancing in the streets
By Julian Broadhead
It is an oft-quoted cliché that there isn’t the same sense of community in our cities nowadays. We would suggest as an alternative that it is merely the nature of our communities which has changed but it does seem like we know less and less about those living in close proximity to us. By way of example, a friend and I had lunch in a busy pub recently and ended up sharing our table with a very nice couple with whom we got chatting. A couple of days later, my friend, returning from work, ran into them again and realised they only lived two doors down from him.
The problem of this unfamiliarity only serves to underline the qualities of a good street party. For coaxing your neighbours out of the confines of their individual homes, there are few things that can match it, both in terms of getting people involved in organising it and the event itself. Yet, such an undertaking is no small matter, which is where organisations such as Streets Alive come in. Set up in 2001, they offer extensive advice on all the practicalities and logistics, from music to getting permission from the council.
Nor should you be put off by or constrained to the idea of a traditional street party. DUS Architects and Studio for Unsolicited Architecture recently held a slightly more avant-garde event in Rotterdam, in a tent built around a streetlight and made out of umbrellas. Called the Bucky Bar, it attracted 300 visitors despite the cold February evening.
So, if you’ve been feeling like you should connect with those living around you, why not take advantage of the fast approaching summer to put on your very own street party? Just don’t forget the bunting!
