Programme of activity 2012 – 2013

Newquay Art8 Festival

The first Newquay Art8 Festival was held from 14^th – 21^st April 2012. It has been welcomed as a great contribution to the town a huge success by the artists and performers that took part; businesses and organisations that showed active support and by the local community and visitors who experienced the Festival activities.

Art8 was intended to celebrate and showcase the cultural and artistic activity already taking place in Newquay and surrounding villages, as well as bringing in artists and performers from further afield.

It provided opportunities for a broad range of local artists and performers to contribute towards improving the image of Newquay. As well as attracting artists from further afield to widen the ‘offer’ for local people and visitors alike.

The success in 2012 has laid the basis for an annual Art8 Festival which will balance community participation with professional excellence by offering accessible opportunities to participate whilst supporting artistic contributions of significant calibre.

For more info on Art8 visit http://www.facebook.com/Art8Newquay

A Hooligans Game

What happens when Cornwall’s county Rugby team is asked to represent Great Britain in the Olympics, versus Australia?  Can they make the David and Goliath story come true, or is it a hopeless challenge?  Does it really not matter whether you win or lose, but how you play the game?  These questions, and others, will be explored in a new cross-art form production, being created by Cornwall Youth Theatre Company, Cornwall Youth Dance Company and local choirs, as part of The Works final Cultural Olympiad project.  For the past three years, The Works, the dance and theatre development agency for Cornwall, has been a partner in RELAYS (Regional Educational Legacy for Arts and Youth Sport), which seeks to engage young people in the South West in sporting and cultural events in the run up to the London 2012 Games.  The Works’ final RELAYS project brings together young Cornish dancers and actors, along with local choirs, to create a new production inspired by the true story of the 1908 Cornwall vs Australia Olympic Rugby Tournament.

Sadly, it all ended in defeat for Cornwall, but St. Ives Rugby Club still proudly displays the silver medal that was awarded to Team Cornwall for coming second.  Local writer, Emma Spurgin Hussey, has been commissioned to write the play, and local musician/composer Rob Elton will be writing the score, with choreography by Helen Tiplady and Sally Williams (joint Artistic Directors of Cscape Dance Company, and Cornwall Youth Dance Company).  Performances took place at Sterts Theatre, Upton Cross, Cornwall, between 10^th – 13^th July 2012.

To see more images from A Hooligans Game please visit - http://www.flickr.com/photos/dtcworks

Torch Relay Celebrations – Golowie Donsya

Four community groups of all ages in Cornwall worked with local dance artists Gemma Kempthorne, Sarah Jarvis, Lois Taylor and Caroline Schanche to create and perform a dance to celebrate the Torch Relay Celebrations that took place on 19th May 2012 ap part of the Olympic Celebrations. With a Cornish and lively flavour, the dances celebrated the passing of the torch through four areas along the torch relay route, and were accompanied by live music. These special events took place at Eden Project arena, Lanivet village green, Marazion beach and Westbourne Park Liskeard .

To see more images from Golowie Donsya please visit - http://www.flickr.com/photos/dtcworks

St Blazey Town to Tide – Community Producer

St Blazey Reclaimed, a community organisation in St Blazey is seeking an experienced Artistic Director to lead the Town to Tide project. The Artistic Director will lead the creative team who will put together an interactive performance of promenade theatre to took place in September 2012. This was an open air event that took place along the Par River estuary.

Town to Tide project  main aims were to develop a sense of place for the residents of St Blazey by giving them a creative way to learn of the historic origins and cultural development of their locality.

Gaining Ground

Following the success of Gaining Ground 2011, The Works Dance and Theatre Cornwall, Young Promoters and The Burrell Theatre have teamed up again to bring you an evening of fresh new dance work by emerging artists based in Cornwall, Devon and Plymouth.

On Saturday 13^th October 2012, audiences will have the opportunity to come and meet the next generation of dance makers and see the exciting work in progress that they are creating.

Gaining Ground promises to be a thought-provoking evening where the choreographers explore ideas of transformation and change inspired by wild swimming, search for the things we lose and gain in our journey from childhood, and uncover the “monster” within.

Saffy Setohy, who has produced the event says “these showcases for emerging artists are so important. They allow dance makers to share their creativity and ideas and understand how those are perceived by an audience. Audience feedback in the making stage is an important tool in helping to develop exciting work of quality for public performance and touring.”

Presenting work in this year’s event are Emmalena Fredriksson, Exim Dance Company, Jane Castree, Jolt Dance Theatre, Sarah Fairhall, Spindrift Dance Company, Verena Van Den Berg.