Take a look at our latest Annual Review for 2023-24.

Yorkshire Dance_Annual Review 2023-24 Digital

The year brought many highlights as well as some tough challenges, as Creative Director Hannah Robertshaw explains:

“In 2023-24 we continued to cement our reputation for co-creating high-quality artistic work with communities through the development of Epic Everyday. This full-length piece, co-created by TC Howard and Company of People, featured a cast aged 12 to 86, performing beautiful duets, solos and ensembles, showcasing their lives through poetry, dance and photography. Epic Everyday, premiered at Leeds Playhouse and was performed at two international festivals—Boulevard Festival (Netherlands) and Gender Bender Festival (Italy). Through European partnership project, Performing Gender, we presented research from University of Bologna into co-creation and recommendations to policy makers at the European Parliament in Brussels.

We hosted two Encounters Festivals, engaging over 1,900 people in workshops, performances and film screenings. Supported by Leeds 2023, we facilitated two international residencies, collaborating with performance companies from Slovenia and the Netherlands.

We successfully secured National Lottery Reaching Communities funding to continue our Dance On project, engaging over 450 older adults across 24 weekly sessions in Leeds and Bradford. Through our In Mature Company programme, we continued to evidence the impact of dance in care settings using Dementia Care Mapping™ and developed a new training programme to empower care staff to adopt creative approaches.

Our commitment to youth dance was exemplified through our Saturday Superstars programme, Youth Dance Company and annual FRESH festival. 

Our Leaps and Bounds programme, for adults with learning disabilities, engaged over 100 participants culminating in a performance at Expressions at the Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre, in Leeds.

Amid these artistic achievements, we addressed operational and financial challenges, conducting a full financial review and making significant adjustments to ensure financial stability while protecting our programmes.”

Image: Epic Everyday by TC Howard & Company of People, Encounters 2023 © Elly Welford