Aspiring dancers and musicians Assemble for Fairfield Halls Takeover

Young dancers and musicians have been invited to audition this weekend for an exciting new project, which will culminate in a live performance at Croydon’s newly-refurbished world-class arts centre, Fairfield Halls.

Open to Croydon residents aged 14-19, auditions for Assemble are taking place this Sunday 23 June, 1pm to 4pm, at Oasis Academy Shirley Park School, Shirley Road, Croydon.  A brand new project, Assemble is a partnership between the UK’s leading contemporary dance festival, Dance Umbrella, and local production company Drum the Bass, which is being supported by Croydon Council and Arts Council England.

The project will bring together young people from across the borough, to be mentored by industry experts as they collaborate on a live performance, which will be staged at Fairfield Halls this autumn. The show will form part of Dance Umbrella’s Fairfield Halls Takeover on 19 October. Just one month after Fairfield Halls reopens, this will be a fantastic opportunity to perform at Croydon’s iconic venue, recently transformed by a multi-million pound refurbishment.

At the auditions this weekend, participants will meet other like-minded young people, as well as composer/musician Shri Sriram from Drum the Bass and choreographer/dancer Jose Agudo, who will act as their mentors throughout the process, taking them on a creative journey to develop their music and dance skills.

The invitation is open to any and all types, styles, concepts and practices of music and dance and not limited to classical/jazz/hiphop or contemporary/street/ballet.

Eight musicians and eight dancers will be selected, based on skill and collaborative spirit, to create two groups of musicians and dancers. The successful applicants will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with other young artists across dance and music, enhance their composition and/or choreographic skills and, over nine workshops, create new works together for the public performance.

To secure a place at the audition contact: bethan@danceumbrella.co.uk / 020 7257 9380. For more information visit www.danceumbrella.co.uk/access-croydon and www.croydoncomposers.co.uk/assemble

“We are proud to be supporting new partnerships like this one, between leading national and local arts organisations, which create opportunities for emerging artists in Croydon. Assemble is providing young dancers and musicians with an invaluable experience, helping them to develop their skills and to perform live at our stunning new arts centre as part of Dance Umbrella’s Fairfield Halls Takeover – an exciting new addition to our cultural programme.”

Councillor Oliver Lewis, cabinet member for culture, leisure and sport

Emma Gladstone, Dance Umbrella’s Artistic Director, said: ‘We are genuinely delighted to be partnering with Drum the Bass on Assemble. Dance Umbrella is always on the look-out for partners from different art forms to work with, and we are confident that our combined belief in the power of dance and music will enable young people to create great new work.’

Shri Sriram, co-director of Drum the Bass and Assemble, said: “Jose and I hope to see lots of enthusiastic young musicians and dancers at the audition and to share our many years of experience and expertise. We are really keen to help them to learn new skills, create work together, develop new ways of practising their art and to make new connections – while creating a fantastic live performance.”

Venue and Artistic Director for Fairfield Halls, Neil Chandler said “We are delighted to have Dance Umbrella take over Fairfield Halls, in what will be an exciting celebration of young artists across Croydon. We’re looking forward to Dance Umbrella fully utilising the spaces Fairfield Halls has to offer, and welcome all to be a part of this amazing dance experience in south London’s largest arts centre.”

 

2019-06-21T10:25:06+01:00 June 21st, 2019|Recent news|