Performing Gender: Dancing in your Shoes
Performing Gender: Dancing in Your Shoes is a cooperative project funded by Creative Europe between 11 partner organisations in 8 European countries: France, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, and the UK.
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Performing Gender – Dancing in Your Shoes is the third edition of the European project which Yorkshire Dance has been involved with from the start. It focuses on connecting dance and performing arts to gender issues and LGBTI identities. This third edition of the project is focussed on audience development and aims to work for three years with dancers and local communities from 8 different European countries.
We will be working in the UK, more specifically in and around Leeds via our Company of People project, which explores the creation of a community performance company representing the intersections of ages, genders, abilities and ethnic backgrounds. We will be doing this with the support of Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Creative Europe. The project is rooted in the communities of Chapeltown and Harehills and works closely with four key partners: RJC Dance, Feel Good Factor, House of Flava and Space2.
In October 2021, our CEO & Artistic Director, Wieke Eringa; our Programmes Director, Hannah Robertshaw, and our Creative Projects Producer, Kirsty Redhead, travelled to Bologna, Italy for a partner meeting. As the project started in 2020, this was the first face-to-face partner meeting.
“The visit was an absolute confirmation of how important it is to meet in person, how much more connection, trust, joy and commitment is created and special the depth of exchange when you meet, walk, dance, eat and watch performances together. Bologna is well known as being the LGBTQ+ capital of Italy, with a long history of supportive organisations as well as a well-respected LGBTQ+ organisation (Cassero) in the most stunning, large, historical building slap in the middle of the city, and an internationally famous festival. For two days, we had meetings, movement workshops, led by the 2 Italian lead artists, and performances. Hannah did a public presentation in the most incredible space in the centre of the old centre of Bologna; the Palazza Accursio; a cavernous old renaissance room. Hannah, Kirsty and I felt a tremendous sense of inspiration and connection as a result of the visit and we had some great conversations with all the partners.”
– Wieke Eringa, CEO & Artistic Director, Yorkshire Dance
