The dance project, called SHIFT! will be delivered by three ‘hub’ venues across rural Shropshire: The Talbot Theatre in Whitchurch, The Edge in Much Wenlock and SpArC in Bishops Castle and aims to inspire and motivate young people to participate in and experience dance.
People Dancing is a three year programme of activity funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games, Arts Council England West Midlands and Advantage West Midlands, aimed at encouraging mass participation in dance and dance related activity across the West Midlands creating a series of high profile events. People Dancing is part of the West Midlands Culture Programme for London 2012.
SHIFT! will present a wide range of regional, national and international dance companies in performances and workshops in various dance styles for all ages. In addition professional development opportunities will be created for both teachers and young people.
SHIFT! will culminate in July 2011 with the BIG DANCE celebration involving up to 1,000 participants in Much Wenlock, (the site of the birth of the modern Olympic movement).
Sian Kerry. director for Arts Alive said “We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded this funding to present professional performances and create opportunities for people to have a go at different dance style across rural Shropshire. We aim to get hundreds of people ‘putting on their dancing shoes! ”
Naomi Temple, West Midlands Legacy Trust UK Programme Manager said: “The breadth of proposals we received for the second round of People Dancing highlights the diversity of the dance organisations and activity in communities around the West Midlands. These six new commissions complement and build on the great work that the projects we commissioned in the first round have been doing in encouraging more people to get dancing. We are delighted to be working with Arts Alive on their exciting new project Shift!.”
For more information about Arts Alive visit www.artsalive.co.uk
