Flash Mob
A flash mob creates a few minutes of apparently spontaneous performance in an ordinary public setting. The surprise works because the preparation is invisible: a clear routine, rehearsed entrances and an ending that releases the space promptly. Done well, it feels generous to witnesses without trapping them inside somebody else’s stunt. Choose a simple concept that remains recognisable with mixed ability, then appoint one organiser responsible for venue contact, safety and communication. Obtain explicit permission from the landowner or operator and ask the local council about entertainment, recorded-music, filming and temporary-event requirements. Public music normally needs appropriate licensing. Agree the exact footprint, participant limit, rehearsal, weather decision, first-aid cover and how people will disperse. Never block roads, platforms, shop entrances, tactile paving, emergency routes or ordinary pedestrian movement. Keep choreography free of weapons, alarming disguises and contact with bystanders. Provide seated or low-movement roles, visual and counted cues and a no-explanation opt-out. Brief participants not to surround, mock or propose to an unsuspecting individual who has not agreed privately. If filming, signpost it, create a camera-free route and obtain consent before publishing identifiable close-ups. Rehearse the first and last thirty seconds more than the middle, test sound at the permitted level and station stewards around the edge. Perform once, finish cleanly and remove every prop and piece of litter. Share edited footage only after consent checks. Completion is a short, accessible performance that makes a place briefly more joyful while preserving safety, access and dignity—not disruption defended afterwards as spontaneity.