In January we welcomed students from Lighthouse School to participate in a Screen Dance Workshop at Yorkshire Dance as part of the Cultural Exchange programme, a collaboration between cultural and creative organisations in Leeds who belong to the Grand Futures Leeds Arts Network. The programme aims to give students an insight into creative careers, allowing them to meet working professionals and develop the skills and qualifications needed to progress in the cultural sector.

“Giving young people the opportunity to explore first-hand what a creative career can look like is an invaluable part of supporting the next generation to access roles in the sector. The Grand Futures Leeds Arts Network, chaired by Leeds Heritage Theatres, is an incredible resource within the city and we are so proud to contribute to their aim of increasing access to creative sector roles.”

– Ione Barton, Youth & Community Producer

We welcomed the students with creative movement tasks, developing teamwork through playful dance games and movements. They observed screen dance films and linked the movements to how they felt, analysing the works and getting inspiration for their own pieces. Students then created short dance films in groups by planning storyboards, filming each other’s movements and editing their shots together.

Tammy Tsang, our Creative Project Assistant, reflected “We were so impressed by what the students created in this short amount of time. It was a lovely reminder that quality work involves play and creating doesn’t have to involve taking ourselves too seriously.”

Image: Young people enjoying a workshop at FRESH © Brian Slater