Powering the imagination of what’s possible—together

In Between Time (IBT) is a pioneering South West–based arts charity with over twenty years of experience bringing world-leading artists and inspirational communities together to imagine the world as it could be. Working side by side, we create radical artistic experiences—boundary-pushing festivals, unforgettable public artworks, immersive installations, live art performances and international collaborations—that spark bold ideas and connection. Whether in a city street, a theatre, a cave, or a forest, we transform how people see—and shape—their world. Guided by free thinking, fearlessness, and fairness, we ignite sustainable innovation and create new paradigms for the future we need and desire.

As The Guardian said: “In Between Time shows what the arts can do for a city and its people.”

IBT sparks the collective imagination to build a fairer, more regenerative future. We create bold, boundary-pushing artistic experiences that ignite the imagination and bring people together. Our work is guided by three interconnected pillars:

1. Projects & Touring

We co-create and tour extraordinary artworks. Co-produced with communities—from overlooked places in the UK to international platforms—these projects invite people into transformative shared experiences that imagine the world as it could be.

2. Artist Support

We back artists for the long term. Through mentoring, producing, presentation, touring and experimentation, we support artists to take risks, grow their practice, expand their reach, and develop radical new paradigms for the future.

3. Sector Development & Innovation

We are committed to leading change in the arts. From genre-defying artistic practices to reimagining international festivals, we work justly and sustainably to ignite sector-wide reinvention and grow the cultural systems we need.

Together, these pillars form a dynamic, people-centred programme that amplifies community knowledge, empowers artists and drives bold, collaborative transformation locally, nationally and internationally.

Our work is bold, moving and defiantly imaginative—spanning the tender and the wild. Across every project we ask how art can reshape the world we share, and how collective creativity can open new possibilities for the future we need.

Over two decades, we created the In Between Time Festival—one of the UK’s most profound and influential international festivals—gathering audiences, arts professionals and artists from more than 40 countries, transforming Bristol into a global meeting place for radical artistic ideas. This legacy fuels our new era of sustainable and regenerative producing, where IBT has transformed from a festival into a place-based year-round producer, reimagining internationalism for a climate-challenged world.

Today, this comes to life through our programmes, demonstrating that low-carbon, justice-led, circular models of cultural production can deliver strong artistic, social and environmental outcomes.

Projects examples include:

• Transforming dark and underground spaces into resonant chambers for unheard voices (We Are Warriors)
• Confronting grief and hope of our extinction era through young people’s perspectives (BIRD)
• Capturing the living essence of a forest with disabled artists and those who can’t easily access nature (Capturing the Forest)
• Celebrating queer joy and resilience through immersive installation, film, performances, and intergenerational line-dancing collectives (Less Like Ourselves, More Like Each Other)

We also innovate behind the scenes—at a systems level, IBT’s Special Envoy model—developed with the Australian Performing Arts Market (APAM)—offers a practical alternative to international presenter travel. Instead of long-haul flights, it enables sustained, in-depth collaboration with locally embedded artists who act as each presenter’s “boots on the ground.” The model reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 97%, keeps resources local, adopts collaborative and non-hierarchical approaches, expands access for those unable to travel, and centres local and Indigenous knowledge. IBT shares this learning through consultancy and research with partners including Julie’s Bicycle (UK), People Make It Work (UK), Informal European Theatre Meeting (IETM) and Creative Climate (Australia). Our models of best practice also inform sector-wide research and policy, including the recent British Council / UAL report Mapping Trends and Best Practice in Climate Action and Sustainability in the Arts.