“I’m standing in a field in Holland at night, in a circle with people of all ages, backgrounds, cultures and genders – everyone is dancing, bodies moving to the sound from a small speaker lying on the wet grass. The group are smiling, arms reaching out to one another in the darkness, offering invitations to move across the circle. Someone moves into the centre, meeting in the middle with a stranger, dancing together in a brief embrace before parting and moving outwards again. There’s a complete sense of togetherness, acceptance, unity and affection between this group of people. Days earlier, they met for the first time.”

Working in a European context post-Brexit, feels almost rebellious. I write this at the very end of the last Creative Europe project for Yorkshire Dance. From 2024, like all UK organisations, we will no longer be eligible for Creative Europe funding. We’ve had the privilege to benefit from being part of the Performing Gender network for many years and this final 3-year project, which culminated in the European Parliament in November 2023, marked the end of this journey.  

The Performing Gender Network encompasses organisations from Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia, Hungary, the Netherlands and the UK and is committed to exploring gender identities through dance. ‘Performing Gender, Dancing in Your Shoes’ was a 3-year audience development project which explored the co-production of dance with marginalised communities and enabled both artists and communities to exchange and develop close bonds, whilst investing in choreographic research and the development of cultural touring product.  

As the UK partner in this work, Yorkshire Dance established an intergenerational Company of People, with local people from Leeds aged 12 – 86 years, from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. Working with the expertise of local artists, TC Howard, Kate Cox, Izzy Brittain and Bakani Pick-Up, Company of People concluded their involvement in Performing Gender by presenting work at Festival Boulevard in Holland, and at Gender Bender Festival in Italy.  

The opportunity to travel, particularly with a community of people, many of whom did not own a passport prior to the project, was an unforgettable experience. It reminded me of the profound impact that working outside of the UK can offer, both in relation to cultural exchange and in feeling part of a Global community.  

It enabled us to forge new relationships with artists, producers, venues, festivals and communities. As a result, we gained understanding of the cultural context in other countries, making us reflect on our own experiences in the UK. It helped us gain confidence in our expert knowledge of working with communities and challenged us to think about how we invest and support choreographic development with communities, which is largely under resourced in the UK.    

In November 2023, I was invited by the British Council to speak about the project in Brussels, alongside partners, artists, community members and policy makers from the 8 different countries. As part of this, I contributed to a session in the European Parliament, presenting recommendations* from Performing Gender to policy makers and MEP’s. This was a significant moment – taking this work which is rooted in the lives and identities of local people in Leeds, and placing it right in the heart of power. It reminded me of the huge significance of the work that Yorkshire Dance and many other community-based organisations do, which, for the most part, flies under the radar.  

As I said in the parliament; at a time when the world feels increasingly fragmented, where we are living in polarised societies – how powerful that we have found this alternative utopia through dance – a way to be together that embodies deep respect, understanding and empathy. I believe the dance we shared in Performing Gender Dancing in Your Shoes enabled people to experience something that will live in their hearts for a lifetime.  

While the opportunity to work in a European context is likely to diminish, we commit to maintaining our relationships with European colleagues and communities, however big the challenges.  

For now, we will focus on Leeds, on Company of People, and look for ways to maintain the expert cultural practice that we have developed with this extraordinary group of humans.