11th January 2020

7 February – 8 February 2020, The MAC, Belfast
12 February 2020, The Marketplace Theatre, Armagh

Boundaries and belonging are at the forefront of this Double Bill of dance commissioned and presented by Maiden Voyage Dance.

Brink
A new duet from choreographer Eileen McClory. Brink negotiates the fragile balance for survival when our future is entrusted to another. Brink is performed by Ryan O’Neill and Vasiliki Stasinaki with original music by Katie Richardson and lighting by Stephen Dodd.

The Here Trio
When all around is changing, all we have is now…

This is a new piece from acclaimed choreographer, Liz Roche, challenges preconceived ideas about site, history and the right to belong in a place. The Here Trio is performed by Ryan O’Neill, Sarah Cerneaux and Gloria Ros Abellana with lighting by Stephen Dodd, original music by drummer Bryan O’Connell and sound design and visuals by Luca Truffarelli. The Here Trio is co-produced in partnership with Liz Roche Company.

To find out more, visit Maiden Voyage Dance’s website here.

On 25th & 26th October 2019, Ireland’s first all-island dance conference took place at The Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast. This was an opportunity for the wider dance sector to get together, network and just simply catch up with all that is going on. The conference featured some interesting seminars, workshops and performances and our artistic director, Mags Byrne, was part of the closing roundtable.

We look forward to hearing the developments and legacy of this important event. Well done to all involved.

Hot off the press… there is an exciting follow-up event planned for October 2020 to further explore some of the themes raised at the conference with another all-island conference planned for 2021. Look forward to it!

To read more about the conference click here.

23rd September 2019

Sutemos and Suteminis teamed up to deliver an energetic performance as part of Mid Ulster Culture Night on Friday 20th September.

The pop-up performance took place at sunset outside Ranfurly House Arts & Visitor Centre in Dungannon and followed on from two multicultural dance workshops earlier in the day.

Our short dance film ‘Relocate’ has been screened as part of the Community Relations Council Good Relations Week – “People Making Change for Peace” 2019.

The first screening took place on Wednesday 18th September at Dungannon Youth Resource Centre followed by two screenings for a combined audience of 90 pupils and staff of St Patrick’s College, Dungannon – with the film’s exploration of migration and settlement resonating with the viewers.

Work has begun on the latest short dance film in our ongoing project with Barnardo’s NI young carers. Over the next number of weeks, we will be working with young carers based in the Magherafelt area in preparation for filming at the end of October.

Watch this space for news about the project…

Northern Visions Television (NVTV) will be producing a short film exploring the work of the company – with a particular focus on our Youth Engagement Projects (YEPs).

Watch this space for more information…

Grand Opera House, Belfast
Friday 25 October – Saturday 26 October 2019
8pm
£13.75 – £21.75
Ages 12+
Booking: www.goh.co.uk

Look out for this must-see performance as part of the 2019 Belfast International Arts Festival.

To Da Bone, presented by French arts collective (LA)HORDE, explores youth culture, identity and expression. In a world in which daily life is increasingly being lived online, this production takes a closer look at a youth subculture called Jumpstyle.

In exploring the role of Facebook and YouTube in mobilising crowds and in creating opposition movements, (LA)HORDE has cast 11 jumpers from nine European countries via the internet to create this pulsing and electrifying performance with powerful intensity and emotion.

For more information click here.

Workshop

(LA)HORDE will be working with 20 young people from DU Dance (NI) in a special workshop tying into these performances.

Thanks to Belfast International Arts Festival for facilitating this session.

Watch this space for more information about this year’s Day of Dance in December!

This annual event brings together our various Youth Engagement Projects (YEPs) for a celebration of dance and, for the first time, this year’s event is set to take place in Belfast City Hall.

Dance Resource Base and Dance Ireland in association with Belfast International Arts Festival and Queen’s University Belfast present Co-Motion, Ireland’s first all-island dance conference.

Co-Motion, which is curated by Dr Aoife McGrath of Queen’s University Belfast, will bring together dance practitioners, researchers, educators, policy makers and supporters to create a platform for putting thought into motion about how we move together.

Featuring keynotes and interviews, panels and roundtables, artist spotlights and performances, the conference aims to mark a significant moment for dance in Ireland.

For more information on Co-Motion click here.

Public consultation is now open
Closes at 4pm Monday 28 October 2019

The Arts Council‘s draft equality and disability 5-year action plans 2019 – 24 are both open for consultation with the arts sector and key stakeholders, as well as partners in local and central government, and the wider public sector. These action plans set out the Arts Council’s commitment to fulfil obligations under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

To share your views with the Arts Council, you can:
– Complete the Consultation Proforma document and email it to strategy@artscouncil-ni.org
– Send your views by email to strategy@artscouncil-ni.org
– Write to: Equality Action Plan and Disability Action Plan Consultation Response, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, 1 The Sidings, Antrim Road, Lisburn BT28 3AJ
– Send feedback in the form of a digital video or sound recording. These can be submitted via CD or link to cloud storage such as Dropbox, WeTransfer or Google Drive.

Public consultation closes at 4pm, Monday 28 October 2019.

For more information and to view the draft action plans, please visit http://artscouncil-ni.org/research-and-development/equality-and-disability-consultation

Consultation documents are available in a range of formats on request. Contact Graeme Stevenson, Strategic Development Department by telephone 02892 623 548 or by email gstevenson@artscouncil-ni.org