In the Spotlight
News Cover Story: Invisible Threads Collaboration “It’s been the biggest honour to be of the dance industry during this difficult time and see how we have all come together to share our classes, share work and opportunities. Dance performance is now taking a new leap into how we share our work beyond the theatre and into more threedimensional and immersive experiences..” James Pett
Further information jamespett.co.uk rickguest.gallery katedawkinsstudio.com Watch the film and post-screening discussion with One Dance UK's Erin Sanchez, dancer James Pett and director and photographer Rick Guest: bit.ly/InvisibleThreadsFilm
Photo: Top: James Pett in Invisible Threads Part 1, image by Rick Guest
£70,000 #LoveDanceScotland Commissions Awarded
Further information Project overview bit.ly/LoveDanceScotland Awardees shotput.org facebook.com/frankiemulholland
One Dance UK teamed up with independent director, filmmaker and photographer Rick Guest and his collaborators dancer James Pett and BAFTA award winning designer Kate Dawkins to debut his new film Invisible Threads Part 1, part of a programme which aims to promote mental wellbeing amongst the dance sector. The film explores the conflicting emotions of desire and fear, the subconscious need to be heard and the quest for self-expression, poignantly mirroring this turbulent time of enforced isolation and its impact on the creative mind and spirit. Erin Sanchez, Manager of Health, Wellbeing, and Performance at One Dance UK says: “We are delighted to collaborate with Rick, Kate and James to bring attention to the importance of mental health in dance. Each person’s mental health experiences will be different and we hope that by showcasing different ways to share and engage with these experiences, we will encourage more people to express themselves.”
Rick Guest added: “I’m so grateful to the amazing team at One Dance UK for both raising awareness for this incredibly important issue within the creative arts and for supporting the many ways in which we can express what we’re going through, and hopefully, through that work, help others acknowledge their situation and understand that they are not alone and that there is a way through.”
Three leading Scottish dance organisations, Dance Base Scotland, Dundee Rep Theatre & Scottish Dance Theatre and Tramway, Glasgow have announced the artists selected for their new #LoveDanceScotland commissions. The commissions have awarded £35K respectively to Shotput and FRAN.K as well as a substantial in-kind support package from the venue partners. Five shortlisted artists were also given £1K each to further develop their practice. It is the first time that the three organisations have come together as commissioning partners and pooled their expertise and resources to support independent artists. The commissions, which are supported by the Scottish Government’s Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund, will enable a step-change in the career of the artists and employ 33 freelancers across the two projects at a critical moment for the independent dance sector.
Shotput will debut Totentanz, a playful live performance and photography project looking at the line between life and death, existential joy and despair, while FRAN.K will present the durational film installation Living in the Space Between. Living in the Space Between is a love letter to clubbing culture, particularly for queer communities, during a time of its absence featuring 12 dancers over nine hours of footage. It is hoped that both performances can be staged at Dance International Glasgow in October, restrictions permitting. #LoveDanceScotland is a campaign created to showcase and celebrate dance in Scotland, highlighting the benefits not just to dance artists and performers, but to the wider community. The campaign emerged from the desire of many dance organisations in Scotland to collaborate more closely in response to the challenges experienced by the performing arts in Scotland and to highlight the need for support to ensure the sector’s survival. The One Dance UK Magazine | Spring 2021 7
