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Last week saw the first #CREATEtour of 2014. The project was launched by us in 2013 and takes place in The Wolds, East Cleveland and Selby District at different points in the year. It gives young people the chance to work with a professional performance company for four days, creating a short performance which then opens for the professional company on four dates as part of Rural Arts ON Tour. The project is completely free thanks to funding and support from Arts Council England, Ryedale District Council, North Yorkshire Youth Service, and Ryedale Youth Support Service. A big thanks to North Yorkshire County Council for providing us with a dance floor for the week too.
Last week, we worked at Brooklyn Youth Centre in Norton, near Malton with Phoenix Dance Theatre. 14 young people took part, and this week, from the 23rd to 26th April, they’ll be opening for Phoenix Dance Theatre’s REfined at Stillington Village Hall, Thirsk High School, Milton Rooms, Malton and Kirkbymoorside Memorial Hall. REfined is a mixed bill of Phoenix’s most popular work of the last five years and offers a rare chance to see some of the world’s most talented dancers up close. You can purchase tickets here
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| One of the professionals that the young people will be opening for this week. |
Below, Jasmine, one of the young people who is taking part in the project, tells us about her experience working with the company:
I have loved my experience with Rural Arts because Amanda and Carmen [from Phoenix Dance Theatre] really helped us all to progress. I have learnt some really cool dance moves and I am dancing to music I don’t normally dance to. The music we are currently dancing to has no lyrics which means I don’t have as many cues.
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| Amanda Lewis from Phoenix Dance Theatre starts putting the piece together |
The dancing does have it’s challenges because we have to work out the counts ourselves because Phoenix Dance Theatre won’t be on stage to count for us so we have to count ourselves.
Also, I have made new friends here. I can also talk to some people that I see at school because they come too! This insures that I can have friends to talk to in my break.
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| Young people have a well earned break |
Sophie, Chloe, Libby and the rest of the Rural Arts and 4 Youth [Ryedale Youth Support Sevice] crew have become my new friends too. They’re fun and bubbly and very supportive.
Overall my experience at The Create Tour has been awesome and I definitely want to come back next year for another fun packed activity week!
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| Young people get to grips with a tricky dance move |
