The guided tour in the under-celebrated urban space

This thesis has developed from an interest in site-specific work and subsequently it has grown into a discussion about place, guided walks and the people who occupy spaces. The aim of the research is to examine the role of the audience in guided tours conducted within areas that are under-celebrated and degenerated. Using a performance walk as the practice to form part of my research, I pose the question; can audiences who are the local resident inform the content of the guided walk to reinforce a sense of community cohesion and celebration? Furthermore, can an area possessing no formal tourism infrastructure become a site for a community walk? I will examine the role both space and the audience can play within guided tours in performance, particularly in those occupied by the local resident. This thesis relies heavily on the documentation material and reflective analysis from my own walk. Using this performance walk to form my argument, I also examine other walks and theories and investigate the strategies and processes of such walks. The thesis has reconsidered the trajectory of performance and guided walks and offers a different approach into how the local inhabitant can inform the content of walks, which are situated within their hometown