A Protein team of four unique dance artists travelled to Stockton today!
They have been selected for a challenging role and together they bring a host of skills which I hope will turn people’s lives around.
I have hand-picked these artists who are all compassionate, knowledgeable, inspiring, great leaders and wonderful dance artists. The team have participated in training and been planning for weeks. Tomorrow they will be welcomed to ARC, who are hosting Protein’s project “This is Us” for local young people attending Bishopton Pupil Referral Unit.
Protein have been working with ARC for several years on a range of projects. ARC support my vision for using dance to make a real difference to people’s lives. For years now I’ve been making dance work that has less public visibility, but focuses on those who can be invisible in our society. I have been developing a programme that we call Real Life Real Dance, a series of performance projects with refuges, young people excluded from mainstream education and hospitalised children. Creating work with people who are not dancers and are dealing with difficult, sometimes life-threatening issues, can bring risk, relevance and humanity to my own choreography, and it also delivers practical, tangible benefits to those taking part.
ARC have supported Protein to reach deep into local communities, introducing people to dance, stimulating the local arts sector and sign posting participants onto arts opportunities following Protein intensive projects. During the next three weeks Protein will create a work for and with young people, in addition Urban Kaos from Stockton are woven into the project, so students from Bishopton connect with local dancers and can continue dancing well after Protein leave, should they wish. I am also delighted Holly Gallagher, ARC’s Young People’s Programme Coordinator will be offering Bishopton students Arts Award Bronze.
Thank you for having us ARC, very much looking forward to the next three weeks!
Blog written by Luca Silvestrini 18 March 2019