Introducing our test programme at The Dance Space
As we foxtrot ever closer to opening the doors to The Dance Space at our public opening on 15 July, we’re preparing for a busy few months ahead. Our staff team will be moving into the building to set up our office overlooking the Jamie Watton Creation Space from 28 March - a big moment for us after working from home and from temporary office space for over two years.
Once we’ve settled into our office chairs and unpacked the tea mugs, we’ll be moving straight into preparing for the start of our test programme. This period running up until we open to the public in July will see a range of classes, workshops and performances taking place at The Dance Space, allowing us to put the building through its paces, and offer a sneaky peek inside.
The test period is also an opportunity for us as a staff team to get used to working in a public venue. Whilst many of us are experienced event producers and venue managers, for some of us The Dance Space will be our first taste of working in a venue. Over the next few months, we will be taking part in extensive training and getting to know all the nooks, crannies and quirks of the building- ready to throw open our doors and welcome everyone inside. It will be a massive learning curve for all of us so we really appreciate both your patience and your feedback while we settle in.
The safety of our staff and our visitors is of utmost importance to us so while Covid-19 continues to affect many in our community we want to ensure that we do everything we can to protect ourselves and others. Therefore, as we begin to welcome in visitors to the space during our test period, we are continuing to take precautions to minimise the spread of Covid-19. Find out more about that here.
Our programme of test classes kicks off with a series of workshops presented as part of our Welcome Project, which has seen us providing dance to people working with community organisations in the Tarner area surrounding The Dance Space for more than four years. It is an absolute joy to invite them into The Dance Space at last and excitingly we’re opening up some of these classes to the wider public to take part in too.
Our South East Dance Partner companies will also be running classes and workshops during the test period, plus our popular Boys’ Movement Classes for ages 7-11 years will be moving to our new studios, bringing with them their little brother class for ages 5-7 years.
And of course, don’t forget to book for our performances taking place during Brighton’s busy festival period in May.
Alongside classes and performances, a range of South East Dance supported dance artists and companies, including Charlotte Spencer and Eva Recacha, will be creating and rehearsing work in the space during the test period and testing some of the building’s specialist features. Follow us @southeastdance for images of aerial dance company Gravity & Levity testing the running walls and strong points in The Jamie Watton Creation Space.
Italian dance artist Sara Sguotti will be our first international artist in residence at The Dance Space from Wednesday 4 May. Sara’s residency is supported by the Italian Cultural Institute, and comes out of a visit made by our Artistic Director Cath James to the New Italian Dance Platform in Salerno in September 2021, when she saw a sharing of Sara’s work in progress. As part of her residency Sara will be putting the finishing touches to her new piece Some Other Place before premiering it at The Dance Space as part of Brighton Fringe on Friday 6 May.
We’re looking forward to seeing you at The Dance Space very soon!