Unify Dance Festival
Unify Dance Festival
Unify Dance Festival is an inclusive dance festival which takes place each year in either Mansfield or Lincoln, in partnership with the Hub, Sleaford. Unify Dance Festival showcases the exciting new work of inclusive dance groups, promoting the ethos of inclusive dance.
This year, two artists from Candoco joined Inspire Youth Arts at The Old Library in Mansfield to deliver an intensive creative week with a select group of existing dancers from both mainstream and inclusive dance groups – throughout the October half-term. During the residency, participants work with Candoco to create a brand-new exciting dance piece which will be performed at Unify Dance Festival 2024 at Create Theatre (Mansfield) on 2 November. This collaboration forms part of Inspire’s work as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, aiming to deliver a range of performing and digital art projects for young people.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Inspire Youth Arts once again. This partnership will allow us to delve deeper into the exploration of rhythm and into the different ways in which people experience time – all while creating joyful moments of connection and belonging. Our teaching artists are looking forward to reconnecting with youth groups in the Midlands, fostering new opportunities for inclusive practices and continued learning.”
Inspire Youth Arts (part of Inspire: Culture, Learning and Libraries) promotes, creates, produces and delivers high-quality arts opportunities for young people to participate, watch, create and perform. With a core focus on music, dance and digital arts, Inspire Youth Arts deliver weekly sessions, bespoke projects and unique opportunities for young people living in and across Nottinghamshire. They first commissioned Candoco back in May 2022, where we created a piece titled You’re On Mute with inclusive and mainstream students, who had the opportunity to perform alongside professional dancers. Please visit the Inspire Youth Arts website for more information about this exciting opportunity.