Celebrate the return of dance in our city at the free Leeds Dance Open Day, taking place on Sunday 19 September from 11am – 4pm.
See thrilling performances, or get dancing yourself with everything from a silent disco to street dance, ballet to flamenco – the choice is yours. You can even take a step closer with backstage tours and talks from professional dancers.
What?
A day of dance around Leeds celebrating the best our city has to offer
Where?
Quarry Hill: Leeds Playhouse, Northern Ballet, and Yorkshire Dance
&
Chapeltown: Northern School of Contemporary Dance
When?
Sunday 19 September 11am – 4pm
Cost?
Events are free!
Booking?
Booking in advance is available for all events, with on-the-door allocation of tickets also available on the day.*
Please note, pre-booking closes on Thursday 16 September at 10pm
Lucy Dusgate has been appointed the new Partnership Director
of Leeds Dance Partnership. Previous Partnership Director Shirley Lundstram has
moved on to become Head of Programme – Heritage at Cause4 – we wish her all the best in her
new ventures.
Lucy is an experienced cultural producer delivering diverse
and strategic programmes of art, including in her most recent role as Art
Programmer / Producer at The Lowry. She has
extensive experience in developing cultural policy, consortium partnerships,
fundraising, embedded learning, co-commissions and large audience engagement
across culture and public realm locations.
Lucy Dusgate
Lucy creates programmes that range from the intimate to the monumental, across public, private and education sector multi-partnerships, delivering to audiences, professionals and participants.
Lucy said: ‘I’m delighted to be leading the Leeds Dance Partnership as we continue to build the city into one of the two national centres of excellence for dance. The support and talent of the partnership enables us to acknowledge our achievements to date and develop a future that is ambitious and encompassing for all.’
Mark Skipper DL, Chair of Leeds Dance Partnership, said: ‘I am delighted that Lucy has joined Leeds Dance Partnership to carry on the excellent work that Shirley Lundstram has delivered over the last three and a half years. Lucy brings to us a vast range of experience as a Creative Producer with lots of international connections and I look forward to seeing how the Partnership develops under her leadership in the coming years.’
Director of Spin Arts and Captain of Artistic Mutiny UK, Sarah Shead invited The Lowry’s Senior Producer, Claire Symonds, multidisciplinary artist Priya Mistry, and leader of Be More Pirate, Alex Barker, to discuss Radical Strategies for Change. The discussion was facilitated by Leeds Dance Partnership Independent Board Member João Maio.
Below, Sarah reflects on the provocations she worked with and what she feels the future may hold.
Radical Strategies for Change
Sarah Shead
Long before COVID-19 hit and affected the arts and cultural sector in a way none of us could have imagined, I was calling on industry professionals to consider and make urgent changes to ensure their relevance and sustainability.
I started by unpacking the inequalities facing freelancers by working with The Lowry in Salford to host two separate conversations, one with venues and another with independents, to explore what a more equitable sector might look like.
This led to a presentation at The Lowry’s Artist Development Toolkit Day, where I led a call to action to 50+ venues committed to Artist Development.
I formed an online group, Artistic Mutiny, committed to exploring and creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive sector. Join the conversation!
To share some of the thinking from the group, I worked in partnership with Leeds Dance Partnership, One Dance UK and the National Dance Network to host the Radical Strategies for Change event.
A dynamic panel of female rogues (The Lowry’s Senior Producer Claire Symonds; multidisciplinary artist Priya Mistry; and leader of Be More Pirate, Alex Barker) shared their treasure trove of insights and unique perspectives about being radical, how they were navigating these uncertain times and seizing the opportunity to rebalance power.
Through collaborations and challenges such as this, leadership and knowledge sharing are shifting from top-down to horizontal power structures. A reorganisation and redistribution of power, where role models are your peers and not your leaders up ahead.
Freelancers are no longer willing to wait for years to inherit power. Instead they’re are heading out to take it and make it for themselves. They’re the CEOs of their own lives who can together be troublemakers, provocateurs, rebels, caring, compassionate, inclusive and ethical.
Radical change is coming. It will be incremental. It will be through partnership and collaborations.
Artistic Mutiny has since been awarded £10,000 from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation to support their development as a self-organised group seeking greater sector equality and inclusivity.
In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt our lives, Leeds Dance Partnership recognised the devastating impact this was having on the independent dance sector. The Partnership wanted to ensure it was continuing to support the independent sector during this time and decided to run a series of free online events specifically for those artists.
In tandem with this, the Partnership wanted to bring together an artistic advisory group of independent dance artists. The aim of this is to widen independent representation in decision making settings, as well as having an adequate steering group to develop training and networking events aimed at independent artists and creatives.
The group was brought together and includes six local independent artists (pictured below): Alexah Tomey-Alleyne; Catrina Nisbett; Charlotte Arnold; Janetta Maxwell; Rachel Fullegar; and Sandrine Monin. That team, alongside João Maio (Independent Board Member) and Gail Ferrin (Programme Manager) then co-designed and programmed the Online Series.
The artistic group identified different relevant themes to be tackled in the series and democratically agreed on three sessions:
Going Digital – What to consider? with Wayne Sables (5 June)
All five sessions were sold out and received positive feedback.
Conversations with the artistic advisory group have so far provided significant learning for Leeds Dance Partnership about the barriers independents face in the region as well as the opportunities needed to network, link, upskill and share. There was also sharing of ideas and suggestions around the way that independent engagement work could be developed in the future.
The hope for Leeds Dance Partnership is now that the events can continue and develop, beyond online to live events (pandemic permitting) and that this will be enhanced by the continued support of the advisory group going forward.
This year’s One Dance UK Awards were a great success for dance in Yorkshire, with several awards received by dance artists, practitioners and educators based in our region including two lifetime achievements awards.
Kathy Williams OLY, Director of Leeds-based RJC Dance was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in Dance of the African Diaspora. Kathy is a founder member of RJC Dance, a leading inclusive Black dance organisation in the North empowering children, young people and adults through dance, movement and exercise.
Janet Smith MBE, Principal & Artistic Director of Northern School of Contemporary Dance from 2012 – 2020, received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Dance Education.
Northern Ballet Premier Dancer Javier Torres, who received the People’s Choice Award for the second year running
Sheffield-based freelance dance practitioner Charlotte Armitage, who received the Inspirational Community Dance Practitioner Award
Claire Nicholson, Principal Strategic Director at CAPA College Wakefield, who received the Inspirational Lecturer at College, University or Conservatoire Award.
Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners from Yorkshire and beyond!
As a Partnership, we stand in solidarity with all those affected by racism, violence and injustice.
We recognise there is so much more to do, and we are working on a series of actions that we can take as a Partnership. We will share these actions in a statement publicly.
A good place to start is to educate ourselves so we can challenge our thinking, encourage conversations and be inspired to make a difference. We and our colleagues from Leeds Beckett University Performing Arts team wish to share this reading list with you and also suggest Creative Access’ resource list.
In the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, artists and organisations across our region have adapted how they bring their work to us. Here is a snapshot and celebration of some of the fantastic work happening online and in person in Leeds and the surrounding areas, and how you can get involved.
From online and socially distanced classes, to podcasts and digital performances, there is plenty of activity happening across our region in lockdown.
Northern School of Contemporary Dance
Northern School of Contemporary Dance have launched online community classes for people of all ages and abilities, including Children’s Classes (5-12 years), Youth Classes (12-18 years) and Adult Classes (Improvers/Advanced Technique and Choreography & Performance), so now you don’t have to leave your home to access their world-class training.
Yorkshire Dance’s Leaps and Bounds tutors have also been hard at work creating a four part series exploring the natural world and universe. Follow along with these inclusive videos to learn how to create your own improvised routine.
During lockdown, core partner Leeds Playhouse have hosted regular Zoom sessions, making phone calls and sending resources to: People Living with Dementia; young people with learning disabilities and their families; refugees and asylum seekers; young people attending alternative education; and schools.
The Playhouse has delivered over 200 lockdown creative craft activities and interactive storytelling videos for their female refugee choir Asmarina Voices to share with their children, plus video resources sent to partner schools and over 100 calls to participants.
Dance Action Zone Leeds (DAZL)
DAZL have continued to focus on improving the mental and physical wellbeing of young people in Leeds throughout lockdown through many different initiatives.
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, DAZL are offering free 30 minute Facebook Live and Zoom dance classes with dance artist Mason Jubb, plus an online 10 week dance fitness programme for families. Find out more.
They have also been leading on GARDEN Groovers, a socially distanced doorstep dance programme funded by Leeds Inspired, Leeds Public Health and Leeds Community Foundation as a complementary offer to DAZL’s Food Bank and distribution work. GARDEN Groovers reaches communities across the city and is being replicated in four primary schools.
RJC Dance
RJC Dance have continued to provide online classes for their students, available on their YouTube channel. They have also put together this fantastic video, Where U R, featuring teachers and students dancing in lockdown.
South Asian Arts-uk
South Asian Arts-uk have created the Generation 21 podcast, a series of thought-provoking interviews sharing questions and answers on the classical Indian music and dance industry. The first six episodes are available to download from all major podcast apps.
Mind the Gap
Our neighbours in Bradford Mind the Gap have created Humans of MTG, an online campaign celebrating the people they have worked with over the past few years and beyond inspired by the Twitter account Humans of Theatre.
Balbir Singh Dance Co
Balbir Singh Dance Company are currently runningonline classes bringing classical Indian dance, ballet and other dance styles to you from the comfort of your living room.
COVID-19’s impact on the partners, individuals and businesses we work with is rapidly changing and we are working in accordance with the ongoing advice from Public Health England.
We’re
pleased to announce that Leeds Dance Partnership has joined National Dance Network, a
meeting point of organisations whose role is to support the development of
dance in the UK.
National
Dance Network (NDN) champions the creation, development and presentation of
dance as a contemporary art form within a UK and international context.
Chaired
by an Independent Chair Gregory Nash, NDN work together to achieve a thriving,
risk taking and confident dance sector in Britain, where UK based dance artists can research,
create and present world-class work nationally and internationally. The membership
meetings function as a forum for update, debate and exploration around key
concerns.
NDN’s current objectives are to:
Provide opportunities to support the development of the artform and of its practitioners
Take opportunities to advocate and champion on behalf of the dance sector
Take opportunities to collaborate and share best practice
From 29 February – 1 March, Yorkshire Dance will present Family Encounters, in association with Leeds Dance Partnership.
We’re proud to be supporting four events in this exciting dance festival which will explore play between children and their grown-ups. All of the events at Family Encounters are pay as you feel.
To the Beat of a Different Drum by TC Howard
To the Beat of a Different Drum is an unexpected meeting of worlds as young people and elders meet – chiming to the beat of a different drum.
Des Gestes Blancs – Gestures on a Blank Slate is a father and son duo based on improvisation and play. Cheerful and touching, these gestures will connect you with your inner child.
MaPPAMoNDO is a musical and imaginative performance for children from two years up. Using sand, earth, stones and musical instruments, a dancer and a musician create their own world full of colours and sounds.
Touch explores the themes of connection, intimacy and physical play between parents and their children, with a cast of two professional performers dancing with their own children, and a community cast of families from the local area. Touch will also be performed at The Holbeck on 7 March.
Please note: please purchase tickets to reflect the number of persons attending the performance, including tickets for those who might be supervising a young child.
Light Night Leeds 2019 was bigger than ever with over 60 events lighting up the city. This year we were proud to support the interactive installation and performances of Alexander Whitley Dance Company’sStrange Stranger as part of the event.
There was a great atmosphere with all of the performances
fully sold out and great feedback from audiences.
‘The energy and control of the performers was amazing, thank you for letting us share it’
‘Utterly absorbing, innovative and interesting’
‘I found the performance extremely thought-provoking and very well done indeed. Thank you, it’s given me food for thought.’
Nearby, partner organisation Leeds Playhouse presented light installation A Beacon of Happiness plus an epic game of simon says.
As ever we had a fantastic Light Night and we’re already counting down the days until next year!
As part of the scheme, independent dance artists are paired with a host organisation to create a response to a creative brief that generates new learning and mutual benefit across the partnership and their audiences, students, participants and stakeholders. Artists receive a fee, a training budget for their development and a bespoke offer of support throughout their fellowship from their host organisation and other partners.
This packed sharing event saw an audience of people from across
the dance industry come together and discover more about what each artist had been
working on and the development they had undergone throughout the scheme.
Introduced by their host organisations – Northern School of
Contemporary Dance, Leeds Beckett University, Yorkshire Dance and Phoenix Dance
Theatre, the artists presented their work in a variety of different ways,
including a presentation, the creation of short video, an interactive silent
disco-esque presentation and a short dance piece.
This July Phoenix Dance Theatre delivered their second Choreographers & Composers Lab, funded by Jerwood Arts with match funding from Leeds Dance Partnership.
The 2019 Lab brought together four choreographers, four composers,
12 professional dancers and four musicians for a two-week intensive led by
Phoenix Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Sharon
Watson and Musical Director Alexander
Campkin.
Week one saw the participants take part in workshops delivered by guest lecturers Kim Brandstrup, Peter Wiegold, Sandrine Monin and Nadine Benjamin, with the creative tasks focusing on experimentation and collaboration. In week two, each choreographer was paired with a composer and together the duos put the techniques explored in week one into practice, devising original choreography and composition. At the end of the two weeks, all involved in the process came together for a studio sharing to invited industry guests where the choreographers and composers shared their creative explorations.
Sharon Watson said:
I am absolutely delighted with the outcome of our second Choreographers & Composers Lab. To bring together 24 creative minds and see them experiment, challenge one another and create has been incredibly rewarding. Creative Labs have played a massive part in my professional development and to be able to offer a Lab that crosses disciplines is invaluable and wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of Jerwood Arts and Leeds Dance Partnership. I can’t wait to see what the 2019 CC Lab cohort do next.
At Leeds Dance Partnership, we are proud to have supported this exciting project and to attend the sharing itself to see the excellent work created. To find out about more artistic development opportunities like the CC Labs, visit our Projects & Opportunities page and join our newsletter.
Last month Northern Ballet presented Springboard, a three-day course for early career dance artists and recent graduates. Leeds Dance Partnership were proud to have supported the course with bursaries to cover course fees for four participants.
The course covered the basic knowledge and skills freelance dancers need to set themselves up, ensure they understand their responsibilities, and manage themselves as a business. This included sessions on financial management, marketing and social media, how to fill in a tax return, legal considerations and a one-day First Aid for Dance course by Underwood Training.
All of the participants said that the course helped them to feel more confident to set themselves up or deliver work as a self-employed artist, with lots of positive feedback:
‘Engaging and fun in a supportive and inspiring environment’
‘Incredibly beneficial and informative’
We’re so pleased that the course was a success and wish all of the Springboard participants the best of luck for their future careers.
