Current Projects 2009
Ludus Dance Development Department are involved in a variety of projects, ranging from one-off ‘taster’ sessions to longer term projects in collaboration with other partners. Here is just a selection:
- The team deliver several sessions for our ‘shorter and younger’ dance colleagues, including: regular sessions at The Platform in Morecambe for young children aged 18 months-3 yrs, with their parents or carers; a 5 day project at Whitefield Infants School, Nelson, working with an ‘underwater’ theme; and music and movement workshops at Taywood Nursery School, Burnley.
- Regular community based sessions include weekly sessions for adults with special needs, planned as a fun and inclusive dance session at Thorpe View Day Centre and fortnightly dance and exercise sessions for the elderly residents at Laurel Bank Residential Care Home.
- Helen Gould has taken up the mantle of Andrea Frisch (currently on maternity leave) to lead the fabulous Intergr8 Youth Dance Group. This integrated youth dance group based at Sir Tom Finney Community High School in Preston participated in the first Lancaster Youth Dance Theatre Festival in May, enjoying workshops during the day and an opportunity to perform alongside other youth dance groups in the evening. Helen also works with Red Marsh Special School on a weekly basis, leading creative and thematic dance work for students with profound and multiple learning difficultires, with ongoing CPD training for support staff.
- The “Postcards to Africa” project was a collaboration between Ludus Dance and DT3 at The Dukes. A series of 6 workshops led to a collaborative performance with the Dukes Youth Theatre at an awareness raising event with Stepping Stones Nigeria, a Lancaster-based charity.
- The first Lancaster Youth Dance Theatre Festival was a two day event with two evening performances involving youth dance groups from across the region; showings of 4 dance films created by young people and a day or workshops held at The Dukes, DT3 and Ludus Dance Studio. Lancaster really came alive with hundreds of young people enjoying the festival, trying out new dance styles and meeting up with other young dancers from different areas.
- Ludus Dance was delighted to be invited to participate in Activ8’s “That’s Quality” event, which was one of the Bolton “Find Your Talent” activities. A half-day of workshops saw many young people participating in dance for the very first time and we have been told that several participants, who had been very nervous of dance, have decided that they want to do more!
- The Travellers Project saw Ludus Dance deliver 24 sessions with two groups of mixed traveler and non-traveller young people, culminating in two performances at DT3 as a part of the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Festival. This was another collaborative project, this time working with Lancaster Youth Service and the Dukes Youth Theatre.
- For the first time, the Community Team spent a whole week in one place for the Rossendale Community Residency. The programme of activities is intended to be a pilot of future community residencies in Rossendale and in other districts throughout Lancashire. Working with Horse + Bamboo Theatre Company, who allowed us to use their home venue – The Boo – Ludus worked with young carers, professional artists, guides, special needs groups and other community groups. The week culminated in a fantastic communal ‘sharing’ event where are many people as were available joined up at The Boo to show the work they’d done during their workshops and to learn a new, communal piece of dance. This was enabled by the generous support of Lancashire County Council and Rossendale Leisure Trust.
- Ludus Youth Dance Company, the flagship youth dance company for the North West, continues to break new ground. This year the company undertook a tour of 7 different venues for the first time. They were invited to Burnley to lead on a ‘peer-led’ workshops and performance project for a new youth dance company in Burnley, mentored by Hannah Robertshaw. Auditions for the 2009-10 company were held in Preston, with 6 young men and 9 young women being selected.
- Rural areas have not been left out. Ludus Dance, in the shape of Samantha Carruthers, led on a primary school-focussed project in the Melling area. Vegetable themed workshops resulted in participation in the parade and a performance at the Melling Village Arts Festival.
- Kat Irving was the artist who delivered the goods at Colne Primett High School. This performance project, funded by the police, with Year 8 students, looked at issues around gang culture and knife crime. 6 creative dance sessions resulted in a 10-minute performance piece that was performed by the young dancers in school assembly.
- Archbishop Temple High School, Preston, brought in the team for the second year in a row to work with the high school students and young people from the 4 ‘feeder’ primary schools. This term-long project resulted in an exhuberant performance by the young people involved, for an audience of parents, pupils and occasional visitors.
- The new Centre for Advanced Training in Salford approached the team to lead a day of INSET training for teachers at The Lowry.
- “Stomping The Ground” was a Creative Partnerships project, with More Music in Morecambe and Moorfield Road School, Lancaster. 5 full days of dance at the school resulted in a fantastic morning of showcasing events at the school, which involved all students and most of the staff.
Spring Brochure 2012
