Arts Council of Wales Investment Review Outcome

Helo bawb / Hello everyone,

You may well know by now of the Arts Council of Wales’ decision not to include Community Dance Wales (CDW) within its Revenue client portfolio, from April 2011. Understandably, the decision has been made to prioritise investment on frontline, activity delivering services.

You may be wondering what will happen to the support services and programmes currently provided by CDW?

Well, we will be exploring as many avenues as possible to sustain the Organisation beyond March 2011.

During this time, we will press the pause button on all programmes with the exception of the ‘Steps in Time’ training programme, so whether you’re looking for inspiration, food for your creativity, or polishing up on technique and knowledge through another exciting workshop programme… mentoring… Individual Training Grants…. Professional Development Partnerships….  ‘Steps in Time’ is here for you.

On behalf of the CDW team and the Executive Board, I’d like to say a very big ‘diolch’ for the overwhelming messages of support.

As any of you who are keen gardeners would understand…. sometimes you have to cut right back in order to promote stronger, healthier growth!

Very best wishes and hwyl,

Jên Angharad

Cyfarwyddydd, Dawns Gymuned Cymru

Director, Community Dance Wales

Valleys Dance – Choreographer job advert

Valleys Dance are recruiting a ‘Choreographer’ – closing date is Thursday 24th June at 5pm!

The post will be to provide dance and compositional experience working with 48 young people, culminating in a performance in the Dance Pavilion for the National Eisteddfod in Blaenau Gwent on Friday 6th August.

Further details and how to apply are available on the job description.

Please note that the closing date is next Thursday the 24th at 5pm, so if you are interested, download the job description now and don’t miss the deadline!

Good luck

Exciting new opportunity!

Apprenticeship with Cecilia Macfarlane

CDW in partnership with TAN Dance is offering Apprenticeships with Cecilia Macfarlane on 1st – 6th June 2010. Cecilia is an independent dance artist with a national and international reputation for her work in the community.

“Her work is based on her passionate belief that dance is for everyone; she celebrates the uniqueness and individuality of each dancer”.

The Long The Tall And The Short Of It

You will be directly assisting Cecilia Macfarlane in creating a new dance piece for performance with a new group of dancers of all ages and very different experiences of dance. Through her direction of this project Cecilia will be aiming to inspire and celebrate each dancers difference and unique ability to move and to be expressive. Through this truly experiential learning opportunity you will:

• Get in-depth first hand experience of working with mixed ages and abilities.
• Be inspired and informed by an expert in this field.
• Develop your creativity and expression as a dancer.
• Realise that everyone can be a dancer and that difference is to be celebrated.
• Develop facilitating skills for working with people of very different abilities and ages with awareness of empowering each participant and everyone’s uniqueness.

We will expect you to:

• Illustrate ideas provided by Cecilia Macfarlane and create and illustrate ideas of your own.
• Attend preparation meetings at the start of each day and reflection sessions at the end of each day.
• Keep a journal that is a record of your experiences and ideas that you can refer to both during the project and after it.
• Know what you want to gain from being part of this project and be able to share this and reflect on it.
• Assist and partner and perform wholeheartedly in the work.

You will receive a bursary of £250 for the project. In return we need your time, energy and commitment and will require documentation/evaluation of the project on completion.

Rehearsal dates: 1st – 4th June 2010, Swansea Metropolitan University.

Performance dates: 5th June 2010 at Swansea Metropolitan University and 6th June 2010 at Neath College.

There are limited places only, so apply now to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity. Places will be allocated to suitable applicants on a first come first serve basis. Please download the CDW Apprenticeship application form or contact CDW on info@communitydancewales.com or 029 2057 5075 for further information.

In order to participate you must be (or become) a CDW member. To join CDW, please download the membership application form.

We look forward to your applications!

Deb Light, Development Officer.

CDW membership form and May workshops!

Hi all,

We’re busy bees at Community Dance Wales at the moment, so a quick rundown on the news:

MEMBERSHIP (download application form)

CDW membership runs from April to March. To join,  download a CDW Membership application form 2010-2011, complete and post to us with payment. Further details are on the form.

Community Dance Wales members benefit from:

• A strong voice speaking out on behalf of community dance
• Subsidised training events
• Access to individual training grants
• Access to PDPs (Personal Development Plans)
• Access to Mentoring Schemes
• Access to Apprenticeships
• Access Grants
• Information and advice
• Networking, sharing and debate
• AGM invite and vote

WORKSHOPS

We have two fab workshops running in May:

Candoco Artist Development Day
Wednesday 12 May 2010, 10.30am – 4pm
Riverfront Theatre, Newport

As part the Moving Bodies programme, each year Candoco runs an annual artist development day for experienced disabled and able-bodied dancers and dance makers to question who can dance and what dance might be. The day will begin with a morning class led by Candoco, followed by practical creative and choreographic exchange with the other artists attending, facilitated by Candoco, and the opportunity for discussion. The theme for the day is ‘Where are you at now, what are you doing next, where have you come from?’ You will explore the essence of your creative practice, leading into collaboration, exchange and ideas for future sessions.

The day costs £6.50, and includes a ticket for Candoco’s show at The Riverfront on Thursday 13 May, at 7.30pm. For more information please call Brigitte Stockton on 01633 656639 or email riverfront.education@newport.gov.uk.

Book your place on the Candoco Artist workshop by calling the Box Office on 01633 656679 or visiting the The Riverfront Box Office. For more information, please visit www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront

Matsune and Subal Intensive
Sunday 16th May 2010, 10am – 4pm
Conwy Civic Hall, Conwy, North Wales

Migrations and CDW present an intensive workshop by choreographer Michikazu Matsune and David Subal (Japan / Austria).
“A chance to experience their knowledge and skill…and get inspired.”

Matsune and Subal have developed a very distinctive way of presenting work: they use unconventional venues such as empty shops or public place to create work which is at the same time conceptual, contemporary and yet very playful and accessible to all. Through this medium they engage with communities and people who would not usually come to see contemporary dance or art in the first place.

Questioning the boundaries of our capitalistic system and society, the workshop reflects on both theoretical and physical understanding of the method used in the project STORE. It also investigates the possibilities of dance / movement / performing art takes place in public spaces, especially considering the relationship between dance / movement / performing art and the city. Why do we perform in public spaces? Does art have an effect in our society today? Michikazu Matsune and David Subal share their method of a comical yet reflected approach. Time to think, time to act.

Cost                                         Course Fee             Concession if Wales Based
Non CDW Members                      £85                          £55
CDW Members                             £45                          £20
Full Time Dance Students            £15                           £10

Book your place on the Matsune and Subal workshop by emailing info@communitydancewales.com or phoning 029 2057 5075.

Both workshops have limited places, so book early to avoid disappointment!

That’s all for now folks.

Have a lovely chocolate filled Easter

Facebook and workshops for 2010!

Happy New Year / Blwyddyn Newydd Dda to everyone!

CDW is back after a lovely Christmas and New Year. We hope you all had a great time and are enjoying the snow!?

Isn’t it great to have proper snow for a change? It’s what Winters are meant to be like. If we had this amount of snow every year, we’d all get used to it and adapt and it wouldn’t cause the chaos that this year has brought… As you’ve probably guessed, I’m a big fan of snow!

Right, back to work.

As promised, our move into social media has expanded with our new Facebook fan page. We are posting event info and pictures / videos and also any general blurb as you do on facebook! So if you haven’t already, please become our fan.

CDW’s training diary continues this year with the following confirmed events:

• Monday 25 January: CandoCo Teacher Training Day at Treorchy Comprehensive. The workshop is open to teachers and dance practitioners and is FREE! To reserve a place please contact Sophie Peerbux (not cdw) on STSPEER1@treorchycomp.org.uk

• Tuesday 9 Feb: Dance United workshop at Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Mold, Flintshire

• Wednesday 24 Feb:  Theatr Iolo – Interactive Performance/Forum Theatre at Powys Dance Centre, Llandrindod Wells

Click on the events for further details. If you want to attend, please contact the CDW office on 029 2057 5075 or email us at info@communitydancewales.com except for the CandoCo Training where you need to contact Sophie Peerbux on STSPEER1@treorchycomp.org.uk

We’re really excited about the events and hope to see you at one or all of them.

More news soon… until then, stay safe in the snow peeps!

Hwyl!

First ever blog!

Hello!

Welcome to the first ever Community Dance Wales blog!

A very quick introduction -  Jen Angharad is CDWs director, Deb Light is our new development officer and then there’s me, Jo who does everything else!

Recently Jen and I attended the Arts Council of Wales Marketing Symposium in Chapter Arts, Canton. Chapter has been undergoing a renovation for the last  year or so but it’s now all done and I must say it’s looking good! Well done guys.

They were great hosts and the food was scrummy – lots of chocolate cake and lemon tart – yum! It’s funny how it’s always the food that you remember from events.

But the gold star of the day has to go to DK from MediaSnackers! DK was the final key note speaker and the highlight of the day for me, and probably most other people too.

DK gave a presentation on social media and how it can be used in the arts. My feedback:

Wow!!!

It was one of the most inspiring presentations I’ve seen for a long while. DK really is a social media guru… and he made the presentation fun, interesting and most of all, made social media in the workplace seem achievable! And necessary!

I want to be in the same world as DK – its looks too much fun to miss out on…

After all, who wants to get left behind in this world of new technology – not me! Not anymore!

So, this blog is really all down to DK. I’ve been inspired to have a go. And tell the world what CDW is doing… and have a bit of fun along the way.

I’ve set us up on Twitter, so you can follow our tweets here: http://twitter.com/dancewales

Coming soon:

• A brand sparkly new website!
• Facebook fan page!
• YouTube!
• Flickr!
• and plenty more stuff on here…
  

Thanks to DK! And to Neil Raygun for a tinsy bit of help setting things up

See you soon!