GDance,
supported by the University of Gloucestershire, is excited to welcome 5
disabled young dancers on to its Young Ignite programme featuring a 3-day
retreat this Easter (15 – 17 April).
...
The 18
– 22 year olds, from London, Dorset, Glasgow, Sunderland and Gloucester, were
nominated by Young Ignite partner organisations: Candoco Dance Company, Diverse
City, Paragon, and Braena. GDance and its partners will continue to support the
participants’ journeys for 6 months following the Gloucester retreat.
Course
Director Caroline Bowditch (winner of a Creative Scotland Award for nurturing
talent) and GDance have designed Young Ignite to explore how best to support
creative and leadership talent in young disabled dancers.
Young
Ignite is part of a national drive to address lack of progression routes for
the UK’s disabled dance talent. It builds on the findings of the Dance4
commissioned Trinity Laban research report ‘Changing Perceptions’ (published
2013), which scoped current provision and
progression routes across England, and explored how best to identify and
develop talented young dancers with disabilities.
Over a
7-month programme, Young Ignite participants will be supported to develop their
choreographic and leadership potential, networks and career prospects.
During
the three day creative retreat they will be empowered to formulate a statement
of intent and supporting development plan, identifying their next steps into
the local, regional and national dance sector. They will benefit from pre
and post-course mentoring from Caroline Bowditch; local (to their home)
guidance and in-kind support from partner agencies/companies; and master classes
from top international dance artists, including Jurg Koch (University of
Washington) and Stopgap Dance Company.
Hannah
Dye, Candoco’s Learning Manager, said:
“Layla-Marie
is an ambitious young person who is at a stage where she needs support to help
bring her to the next stage of her personal development. Young Ignite comes at
an ideal moment, addresses her areas of need through the provision of a mentor,
introduction to a variety of professional dance artists and companies and a
clear long-term programme to provide focus.”
Layla-Marie, the
young disabled dancer Candoco nominated, said:
“Being
part of such a unique opportunity would benefit me in so many ways. To have the chance to explore and improve
myself within my passion…Gaining further knowledge and understanding of dance
but also of myself and others within dance. Growing in confidence within myself
and having a greater idea of my future within dance and the support to get
there.”
Young
Ignite has been made possible thanks to investment from: Arts Council England,
The BBC Children in Need Appeal, and with in-kind support from the University
of Gloucestershire.
For
more information contact Ailsa Hardy, Young Ignite Manager, email: ailsa@gdance.co.uk
tel: 01452 550431.
Ends
EDITOR’S NOTES
About GDance
GDance
is a Gloucester based production and training company specialist in inclusive
practice. With our partners, we aim to effect real change and to address
barriers to participation in, and progress through, the arts sector. We:
·
produce high quality professional inclusive
performance, supporting the development of emerging disabled choreographers,
leaders and performers
·
work strategically with local and national arts
and education partners to improve inclusive practice and pathways for people
facing disabling barriers
·
provide inclusion training, consultancy and youth
courses
·
deliver inspiring projects, workshops and
courses for people of all ages facing challenges in their lives (with
education, health and community partners)
·
co-ordinate a ranges of platforms, outdoor
events and dance tasters
·
work in partnership towards the aims of arts,
health and social strategies
For
more information, call Director Cath Wilkins at GDance 01452 550431 or e-mail cath@gdance.co.uk / Website: www.gdance.co.uk
Candoco Dance Company, London
Candoco is a company of disabled and non-disabled dancers,
founded in 1991. Candoco produces excellent and profound experiences for
audiences and participants that excite, challenge and broaden perceptions of
art and ability, and place people and collaboration at the heart of our work.
Diverse City, Dorset
Diverse City works nationally/internationally making
exceptional shows that profile the work of artists from diverse groups. Diverse
City was founded in 2005 and is a leader in integrated work both participatory
and professional bringing disabled and non-disabled performers together.
For
more information, email: Makingcontact@diversecity.org.uk / Website: http://www.diversecity.org.uk/
Paragon, Glasgow
Paragon is an inclusive music company inspiring people to
create and perform their own music. We are passionate about using music and the
arts to raise people's aspirations, promoting positive self-image, teamwork,
communication and learning.
For
more information, email: ninian-paragon@btconnect.com / Website: http://paragon-music.org/programmes/m3/
Braena, Sunderland
Braena is an Interdisciplinary Performance Company, who
create high quality performance work and facilitate, movement-based, creative
workshops in the community.
Caroline Bowditch
Australian born but now Glasgow based performance artist and
choreographer,
Caroline Bowditch, describes herself as a performer, maker,
teacher, speaker
and mosquito buzzing in the ears of
the arts industry in the UK and further afield. For more
information, email: carolinebowditch@btinternet.com
/
Website: www.carolinebowditch.com
Jurg Koch
As an educator Jürg focuses on contemporary dance technique
and composition. He has a specialized interest in Integrated Dance and creating
access to course content for a diversity of students. He is the organizer of
the Integrated Dance Summer Intensive in Seattle.
For
more information, email: kochj@uw.edu / Website: https://depts.washington.edu/disstud/faculty/j%C3%BCrg-koch
David Willdridge and
Laura Jones from Stopgap
Seek to offer a window into a parallel world where human
interdependence, strength and vulnerability play out with poetic realism.
Stopgap Dance Company seamlessly integrates dancers with and without
disabilities. For
more information, email: admin@stopgapdance.com / Website: http://stopgap.uk.com/
Lisa Simpson
The Simpson Board, an inexpensive but priceless choreography
tool enables disabled people with non or limited verbal communication to
choreograph their own pieces of work. Lisa, who has Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy
and no verbal communication, travels around the country delivering workshops to
different education establishments, dance companies and community groups giving
participants, who also have a passion for dance but difficulty communicating
their ideas to people, specialist training and the opportunity to use the
board. For more information, email: lsimpsondesigns@yahoo.co.uk/
Website: http://www.simpsonboard.co.uk
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