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The Festive Ask.
Can you help us give the gift of dance this Christmas?
Hello to all our dance supporters in Devon and beyond. Looking back on this year we are proud to have worked with many of you on so many different dance projects and we have been really inspired by dancers aged from 6 months to 94yrs! You can look back with us below as we highlight some of our work. But first…
As we come to the end of the year it is hard to think through our work without being mindful of some of the larger issues we are facing as a community, a sector and an artform. The extensive revisions to the school curriculum over the last 5 years have downgraded the importance of the arts in education and we have also lost our brilliant dance teacher training from Exeter University. A further depletion in resourcing dance activity outside of school (after school clubs, youth dance groups) will add to a real gap in arts and cultural opportunities for our young people. Dance in Devon will continue to be proactive in identifying areas where we can be part of the solution or offer an alternative provision. We also see that reduced local authority budgets for social services, youth services, library services etc. all have a knock on effect on increased competition for other sources of funding. Our focus on social outcomes can help us to expand the possibilities for new partnerships and innovation to grow our opportunities in the face of these challenges.
These cuts and their impact motivate us to advocate for more and better opportunities to create culture together through dance. We know that alongside the depletion of dance on the curriculum, are the increasing tensions in and between communities. Cuts to youth services and leisure centres mean that young people are less likely to be taking part in other cultural activities too outside school.
In a time of increasingly fractured communities where there is danger that kindness and tolerance are lost among suspicion and fear, we are mindful of the contribution dance can make to greater understandings and more positive relationships in our communities. One of our motivations is to continue to design and deliver opportunities for people to share expressions of their lives, to feel understood and safe and to explore expressions of identity and connection.
Help us to continue to give the gift of dance by putting Dance in Devon on your Christmas gift list. A small donation of; £5 £10 or £20 will go towards our participation programmes for very young children, communities and isolated older people.
THANK YOU and a very merry festive season to you all!
Sue xx
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Highlights from some of our projects this year...
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All Aboard! Exeter, Barnstaple, Torbay, Totnes
Creative and inclusive dance and movement workshops for early years
All Aboard! is our inclusive early years dance project. We're working with families and special education schools in Barnstaple, Exeter, Torquay and Totnes. The project explores movement, play and self expression. We have a brilliant team of dance practitioners working with children up to 5 and disabled children up to 11, along with parents, carers and teachers. The project began in December 2016 and concludes in March 2018, and we are supported by Children in Need and The Ragdoll Foundation. As part of the project we will be bringing a performance of Paper Capers to Barnstaple Library so keep an eye out for an announcement in the new year. If you would like to come to your nearest session click here.
We have had some lovely feedback, and would like to share a comment from a parent who attends one of the Exeter classes with Pip Jones and Lizzie Swinford: |
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“All Aboard with Lizzie and Pip has become a highlight of our week. The sessions are truly magical and Jay and I both love them. They are full of delightful surprises which have inspired us and allowed us to get caught up in the journey of movement and song. Lizzie and Pip have a brilliant way of involving every child and making them feel an important part of the group. They are responsive to the children's ideas, movements and drawings and draw out their creativity. It has been great for Jay's confidence in enjoying and expressing his creativity.”
Parent from the Exeter Flying Start All Aboard workshops
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Best Foot Forward, Paignton
Dance for Falls Prevention
For the last 6 months we have been working with a group of 12 older people in our falls prevention project Best Foot Forward. The sessions have been twice weekly, have been a fun, sociable and creative opportunity, offering participants space for personal expression.
Through dance, practitioners Clare Parker and Tamsin Bone have supported participants to physically connect, move with and relate to new people, partners and family members. We are supported by the Torbay Culture Board, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and South Devon and Torbay Clinical Commissioning Group. We've been supported brilliantly by 6 passionate volunteers. If you would like to find out about volunteering opportunities with us please contact us to tell us what you would be interested in taking part in. We are delighted to received funding from Big Lottery to keep the class going 1 day a week for the next 6 months, which is fantastic news.
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“I can’t thank you enough for all you have done as I feel the dance [group] has quite literally given
[my mother] a new lease of life.”
Daughter of Best Foot Foward participant
“There is no doubt that I have regained confidence and the sense of self-worth. The friendship and immense kindness of everyone have restored my interest in living and hope for more ‘happenings’ in a rosier future”
Best Foot Forward Participant
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Dance in Time
An Intergenerational Day of Dance
Dance in Time is our annual celebration of dance in Devon. This year we celebrated intergenerational dance on Sunday 26th November at Dartington and would like to thank everyone who came along and made the day such a success. It was a day to enjoy dancing together with all ages and abilities. With dance workshops, music and a chance to get creative – it was a great day to experience with friends and the whole family.
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“There was a friendly and relaxed atmosphere throughout the day which was led by the Dance in Devon team and the dance teachers. The singer during the lunchtime, the lunch, the afternoon cake and the dance performances further enhanced the experience of the day.”
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“An opportunity to try something different and to share a love of dance with others in the county.”
Responses from Dance in Time participant questionnaire
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There is something about Tuesday ...
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Dance Café & 'The Lonely Arts Club'
16th January 10-12noon
6th February 10-12noon
6th March 10-12noon
"Dance Cafe has been a great chance to meet local dance artists and people interested in running dance projects. Artists have come looking for a space to discuss ideas, time to talk to Dance in Devon about collaborations, ask for support with funding applications or looking for ways to connected to new people.
I've been inspired by the variety of ideas, the enthusiasm and passion of everyone I've met. I have also met a lot of artists feeling bruised or tired by the funding game. Dance Cafe is the place to come if you need to talk about what's happening in your dance life right now, support can come in many shapes and sizes. One of the outcomes I'm really excited about is something I am calling 'The Lonely Arts Club'. It's a matchmaking style introduction to other artists or organisations (just without the romance), and in the new year we will offer a space on our website or social media for people to share "Would like to meet..." posts.
If you are a lonely soul looking to connect feel free to drop me a line about what creative soul you would like to meet. Or stop by Dance Cafe in the new year for a coffee and a chat. I look forward to meeting you and talking about what the new year has install for you."
Lizzy
Project Manager
Please email Lizzy (projectmanager@danceindevon.org.uk) to book your 20 minute slot.
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What else is coming up in 2018?
Watch this Space - 8th February 2018
Dance in Devon brings Watch This Space back to the Exeter Northcott Theatre with some of the region’s best home-grown contemporary dance. This platform of new works is buzzing with energy and is a vibrant showcase of the diverse dance taking place in Devon and beyond. There will be a post-show discussion hosted by Dance in Devon.
Dance in Devon in partnership with Exeter Phoenix invites Kay Crook, director of CHHAYA COLLECTIVE as our guest artist in the first of our Dance Talks series in March 2018 Dance Talks are a companion to Exeter Phoenix’s dance programme as an opportunity to hear about a local dance practitioner’s work, provoke discussion and provide an opportunity to meet other people with an interest or practice in dance.
New creative dance and movement workshops for early years are starting in Torbay. A playful movement and dance class suitable for parents/carers with children. The sessions are inclusive we welcome disabled children under 11 and non-disabled children under 5.
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