Dancing with Light for Schools project (2022)
January 26, 2023
FREELANCE DANCE PRACTITIONER CALL OUT
January 31, 2023ARCHIVE: Dance Re:Ignite 3.0
(September 2021 - August 2022)
OVERVIEW
Dance Re:Ignite 3.0 was a dance project for adults, specifically vulnerable and older adults, in Hertfordshire that took place from September 2021 to August 2022. Through Dance Re:Ignite 3.0 it planned to do this by investing in local dance infrastructure that included development for volunteers, practitioners and partnerships to maximise dance provision and the reach of dance to vulnerable local communities in Bishop’s Stortford, Hemel Hempstead, Rickmansworth, Watford and St Albans/Welwyn Hatfield. This was the third iteration of the Dance Re:Ignite programme and focused on increasing reach through localised, place based approaches via commissions of co-created performance and workshop packages, tours across the 6 areas, micro events, streaming events, and development opportunities for local freelance practitioners.
“It felt more inclusive and empowered. The outcome of the dance is more persuasive because the dance contains people’s individual stories which has more devotion in it. It is a very inclusive interactive collaborative process where dancers feel a sense of ownership.”
AIMS
The project had four overarching aims:
- Develop community dance infrastructure in Hertfordshire
- Increase feelings of wellbeing in participants through creative collaboration
- Test and explore barriers to engagement
- Develop artistic approaches to co-creating dance with communities
HEADLINE FINDINGS
- The project explored a new way of working at a hyper-local level which enabled a deeper level of connection with local community groups and development of dance artists in those areas.
- The project continues to support participants’ all-round wellbeing as they continue to identify benefits that include feeling connected to others, being physically active, feeling valued and being creative
- Dance artists were supported to be stretched and challenged by working beyond their artform and by having support from other artists, as well as peer to peer support opportunities
- A model of co-creation between artists and participants is being developed and defined, that gives agency and ownership to the participants
- This project has catalysed the potential development of a range of cross-sector partnerships.
EVALUATION
A full evaluation report is available for this project
PROJECT CREDITS
Partners:
Saracens Sports Foundation, Trestle Arts Base, Three Rivers District Council, Watford Borough Council
Artists:
Adriana Welham, Clare Bellchambers, Christopher Hunt, Dawn Hudson, Hanna Wroblewski, Jane Hobson, Laura Horn, Louise White, Miranda Quinney, Rebecca Benford, Simone Sistarelli, Simon Richardson, Spearhead Productions
Funders:
Arts Council England, East Herts Council, Dacorum Borough Council, The Victoria Wood Foundation
VIDEO
ADDITIONAL CONTENT
Open Letter:
A fictional letter written from one generation to another. It has been produced by Storyteller Miranda Quinney as a reflection of witnessing the storytelling, dance and sharing processes we went through during the Dance Re:Ignite project.
PDF of letter in folder ‘Letter to Next Generation’
Listen to a reading of the letter below using the SoundCloud on the right ...
Audio Described Films:
Thank you to VocalEyes for audio describing three of our groups performance to increase the opportunity for blind and visually impaired people to enjoy the Dance Re:Ignite work.
Our Story
(created with Rebecca Benford, Full of Life Dance)
Our Gift Is Our Story
(created with Laura Horn, New Connections at Watford Museum)
Our Brave Journey
(created with Louise White, Dacorum Community Dance)
