Sarah Ainslie In Covent Garden
In the eighties, Contributing Photographer Sarah Ainslie photographed the street performers of Covent Garden and her pictures are currently being exhibited at Paul Smith, 40-43 Floral St, WC2E 9TB until 11th June as part of the 50th Anniversary of Covent Garden Street Theatre.
The square outside St Paul’s Covent Garden, designed by Inigo Jones, has offered a space for street performers since the seventeenth century. In 1975, after the fruit and vegetable market closed, this became the Covent Garden Street Theatre created by Alternative Arts led by Maggie Pinhorn.
The community was able to preserve it as a public space through resistance from the local residents, traders and activists who came together to halt the plans to demolish the old market buildings. It was an inspiring example of people working collaboratively to manage their own spaces and the importance of public art as a living experience, in a place where street entertainers have been part of the history and culture of the area for over three hundred years.
Photographs copyright © Sarah Ainslie
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Great photos!
In the 80s, some of us from an Egyptian/Arabic dance group in Birmingham travelled up to take part in a dance display in Covent Garden arranged by someone in London, it was great fun!