Performance-Collective, Berlin

Gob Squad is a group of UK and German artists. They make performances which search for beauty in the everyday, and look for words of wisdom from a passing stranger. They are an artists’ collective, the seven core members working collaboratively on the concept, direction and performance of their work. They try and explore the point where theatre meets art, media and real life. As well as theatres and galleries, they place their work at the heart of urban life – in houses, shops, underground stations, car parks, hotels or directly on the street. Everyday life and magic, banality and utopia, reality and entertainment are all set on a collision course and the audience is often asked to step beyond their traditional role as passive spectators and bear witness to the results. They started the company in Nottingham in 1994 but are now based in Berlin. Their work is regularly shown throughout Europe, and they've toured to all the continents apart from Antarctica.