18th December 2024
Did you know between April 2023 and March 2024 we delivered 31 performance events and 6 film screenings?
Read all about those, and what else we were up to, in our brand new Annual Report by clicking on the link below:
16th December 2024
Eight dancers from our Youth Engagement project Sutemos were in Limerick for the weekend with partner organisation Youth Dance Limerick. The group is part of the Youth Dance Matters research, a collaboration between Queens University Belfast and University College Dublin.
Hosted by Dance Limerick in their wonderful studio in John’s Square, the dancers worked with Prof. Aoife McGrath and Dr. Victoria Durrer. They had a ball and loved the work, the city and even the 8 hour bus journey, which became an extended chance for a sing song!
Thank you to all for treating us so wonderfully.
12th December 2024
On Sunday we all came together for our annual Day of Dance at the Crescent Arts Centre.
It was a really special afternoon as all our Youth Engagement Projects had an opportunity to share their work, took part in short workshops and created a short piece together.
Here is just a snapshot of the fantastic audience feedback:
“Great to see everyone working together!
“Brilliant day, cracking energy from everyone.”
“Great day, lots of energy, positivity and Christmas cheer!”
“Today’s performance was excellent and really well put together, loved how the young people expressed themselves through movement.”
“Fabulous work, brilliantly organised, total engagement.”
Thank you to everyone who performed, who joined the enthusiastic audience, who served the festive treats and a BIG pat on the back for Debs who pulled it all together! And just check out these stunning photos by Jim Corr Photography.
Enjoy your well earned Christmas break and see you all in January!
2nd December 2024
….Christmas!
Our annual Day of Dance 2024 takes place this Sunday 8th December at the Crescent Arts Centre. It is always a magical event as all our Youth Engagement groups come together to share what they have been working on this term with much joy and laughter.
Families join us later to enjoy the showcases, the festive treats and, of course, the annual dance-off.
What a lovely way to end a busy year!
21st November 2024
Our Sutemos and Suteminis are just one of the important projects in Northern Ireland funded by BBC Children in Need. Thanks to their on-going support, we can continue to work with this fantastic group of young people and share performances that always reflect upon, and celebrate, diversity.
Last Friday, we were really pleased to be invited to attend the Appeal Day Thank you Event at the BBC Blackstaff Studios.
There has not been an appeal since before covid, and this year CiN NI decided to bring it back to celebrate and say thank you to the projects they fund.
Two members of Sutemos, Nikita and Julia, travelled from Dungannon to join Mags and Morag for the evening and share what we do and how we work. The dancers must be commended for their efforts at entertaining the younger guests too!
It was a wonderful evening of celebration and a great opportunity to meet the lovely team at Children in Need, members of the board, CiN supporters and representatives from other projects.
Thank you to everyone involved.
2nd October 2024
This August we were proud to bring SHIFT to the stage at BBC Blackstaff Studios, Belfast. Through dance and music, this immersive event explored young people’s perspectives on the climate crisis, migration, and human resilience.
The impetus for SHIFT came from the DU Dance (NI) Youth Steering Group whose members were outspoken in their opinion that much more needs to be done publicly to address the environmental crisis. A call to action across the island of Ireland resulted in 70 young people and 16 children from companies in Belfast, Dungannon, Omagh, Laois, Limerick, Moira, Roscommon and Wicklow coming together. It started with a digital rehearsal period in July, workshops in the community and a seven-day rehearsal programme whilst staying in Stranmillis University College.
The experience of meeting, creating and performing has made a real impact on the lives of everyone involved in the project:
“It’s been an amazing experience to make new friends and bond over something we all care about, everyone has been so sweet and I hope to get to experience something like this again as it has made my summer the best one ever.”
“It was really fun and eye opening.”
“It was really fun to get to work with different people from different places and different dance backgrounds! Thanks so much for the opportunity to do this project.”
“I really enjoyed working with and meeting different people. As a dancer I specifically appreciated the musicians and thought it really added to the experience.”
“It’s been very exciting and inspiring seeing the range of different talents.”
The artistic, creative and collaborative approach of SHIFT was underpinned by an exploration of the climate crisis and feedback from the young participants shows the real impact of the project:
“The visuals of the performance and the text made me more aware of issues involving climate displacement. I thought I was more knowledgeable about this but was surprised to learn more which was great.”
“While I was already very aware of the severity of the climate crisis, this project reinforced the urgency of the situation and how quickly we need to take action.”
Watch a 2 minute film on the background to SHIFT and hear from those involved: HERE
The audiences who came to the three sell-out performances also felt better informed and really inspired to do more. They were awed by how SHIFT brought the climate crisis into sharp focus:
“SHIFT was the most electrifying and moving experience I’ve ever witnessed on examining the climate crisis.” James Orr, Head of Friends of the Earth NI
“It was so moving from start to finish, I shed several tears! The music was beautiful, the dancing so emotive and the visual projections were incredible!” Eve Shearer, Belfast City Council
You can hear more from the audience in this 2 minute film: WHAT DID YOU THINK?
If you have been inspired to DO MORE, check out our guide on sustainability with tips and ideas on how you can make the world a greener, cleaner, fairer and more creative place. Learn how easy it is to DO MORE!!
SHIFT was presented in partnership with Music Generation Roscommon and Queen’s University and creative direction and choreography was by Robby Graham of Southpaw Dance Company.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council for their core funding and the trusts and foundations who support our on-going programme.
We were delighted to be part of the 35th annual Cinemagic Film Festival when ‘Tough to Calm’ preceded the main billing on September 29th at Queen’s Film Theatre.
This short dance film features the Belfast Boys and is centred on issues the group wanted to explore; hyperactivity, emotional wellbeing and anxiety.
Deborah Hamilton, Programme Director for the Youth Engagement Projects, said: “The boys and their families had a wonderful time and it was lovely to see their film on a big screen again.”
Many thanks to Cinemagic for inviting us to be part of this great event.
25th July 2024
You are invited to join us on August 21st and 22nd for SHIFT, an immersive event exploring young people’s perspective on the climate crisis, migration, and human resilience through breathtaking dance, music, and visual projections.
Join us as 70 young dancers and musicians from companies across Belfast, Dungannon, Omagh, Laois, Limerick, Moira, Roscommon and Wicklow unite to voice their fears and hopes for the future in an epic dance theatre performance.
This will be a mesmerizing 45-minute showcase of talent and creativity and is suitable for all ages.
We are absolutely delighted to present SHIFT in partnership with Music Generation and Queens University, and with creative direction and choreography by the renowned Robby Graham of Southpaw Dance Company.
Dates & Times:
August 21st: 3pm & 7pm
August 22nd: 1pm
Venue:
BBC Blackstaff House, 62-66 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7BB
Tickets are only £5! You can book now via Eventbrite: HERE
We have a special rate for groups of 8+. Just contact info@dudanceni.com or 02890 230877.
See you there!
2nd July 2024
Sharing some of the photos from last month’s grand opening of the Sutemos photography exhibition ‘Seen / Unseen’ which took place in the CRAIC Theatre in Dungannon on 5th June.
Friends and family came along to see the fantastic series of photos of the dancers in motion taken by Jim Corr (seen above with some of the group and Deborah Hamilton, Youth Engagement Director).
Our group, along with dance artist Christine O’Neill, had explored through dance the important topic of what we see on the outside compared to what we don’t see going on in the inside.
We are delighted that so many of the CRAIC Theatre’s audiences and groups – over 2,000 people – had the opportunity to see the exhibition in this busy and vibrant venue. It will be on display in two other Dungannon venues over the next year. Watch this space!
28th June 2024
On Saturday there was a full house in The MAC Upper Theatre for the Belfast Boys film premiere. Family and friends dressed up and walked down the red carpet to join the boys and watch ‘Tough to Be Calm’.
This year’s Belfast Boys programme focused on emotional well-being, hyperactivity and anxiety in young people, matters of real interest to our boys, and their ideas were used as a springboard for the film project.
The film explores how sometimes it is – and sometimes it isn’t – tough to be calm. Often, whether boys are tough or calm can be viewed negatively so the boys enjoyed developing choreographic material that could be used in ‘tough’, hard edged movement in the urban city centre settings but was also utilised as a contrast in the ‘calmer’ woodland scenes in the leafy idyll of Belvoir Forest. As always, this project took ideas from the energy levels the boys bring to every session.
The audience gave the film glowing reviews. Much fun was had and MUCH popcorn eaten!
Thank you to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
See below for the photos from the filming day:
