NEWS
Read the latest news about opportunities, announcements, auditions and much more...
ESD JOINS THE SECOND EDITION OF THE INTERNATIONAL TOURING AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAMME
Date posted - 03/03/2023
Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) is pleased to share that we are one of twenty artists and companies based in England and Denmark invited onto the second edition of the International Touring and Environmental Responsibility (ITER) programme, led by Julie’s Bicycle and funded by Arts Council England and the Danish Arts Foundation.
ITER aims to foster relationships between artists and companies based in England and Denmark, supporting them to develop new, environmentally responsible approaches to international touring and collaboration.
Travel and touring are essential to the arts, but they come at a cost. As the urgency of the climate crisis increases, so does the need for the arts sector to fully understand its touring footprint, and to develop a means of sharing art which supports the transition to a global low carbon future.
The twenty artists and companies will participate in a three-month online programme from March - May 2023 looking at the challenges posed by international touring, and finding ways to reduce the carbon and environmental impacts of their tours.
"As COP27 comes to a close, there is a renewed sense of urgency for climate action and we must harness the power of the arts and culture to innovate, influence and inspire change. Building on the success of last year’s programme developed in partnership with Arts Council England and Danish Art Foundation, we hope to drive forward sector knowledge on sustainable touring and empower organisations to move towards an environmentally responsible creative sector."
– Alison Tickell, Founder & Director, Julie’s Bicycle
November 2022
"ESD is excited to take its high quality and accessible dance works to an international audience. But this comes at a cost, which is not merely financial. As the urgency of the climate crisis increases, so does the need to understand our touring footprint. The opportunity to participate in the ITER programme will not be taken for granted. ESD looks forward to sharing what we've learned from the programme with the wider dance sector. ESD hopes to unlock innovative environmentally conscious thinking in relation to touring dance internationally."
– Eliot Smith, Founder & Creative Director, Eliot Smith Dance (ESD)
March 2023
The invited artists and companies from Denmark are:
Aaben Dans
Den Selvejende Institution Swinging Europe
Foreningen BIRCA Residency
Creative - without Nature?
Aarhus Festuge
Lydenskab
Kunstneren Tæt På and AREA-network
Himherandit Productions
Between Music
Ars Nova Copenhagen
The invited artists and companies from England are:
Asian Arts Agency
Eliot Smith Dance
China Plate Theatre
Askonas Holt Ltd
Sage Gateshead
Pavilion Dance South West
Sam Redway
Dance Consortium
Orchestra for the Age of Enlightenment
Actors Touring Company
ANNOUNCING SPRING 2023 SEASON, HUMAN
Date posted - 04/01/2023
Download full Press Release
In spring 2023, one exceptional dancer, YAMIT SALAZAR, performs a night of electrifying solos created by award winning choreographer ELIOT SMITH and multi prize-winning composer ADAM JOHNSON. It promises to be a performance like no other in spring 2023.
HUMAN is an explosive performance of mesmerising solos, exploring the joys, the sorrows, the idiocies, and the brilliance of anything human.
From cutting-edge contemporary movement and pumping folklore to exhilarating commercial dancing, this ‘up close and personal’ night of brilliant dance will set your heart racing.
The performances will take place in May and June and will visit Gateshead, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Warkworth,Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and Darlington.
“For the first time ESD is presenting a programme of solos, and I feel honoured to create on one exceptional dancer who constantly inspires me. I am equally grateful to be collaborating with the highly respected composer Adam Johnson – collectively to create an up close and personal night of memorable dance and music. The solos will embrace a new vision, showcasing a mixture of styles that offer a rich contemporary narrative, with multiple points of access for audiences to be inspired and enjoy,” says Eliot Smith, the Company’s Creative Director.
ELIOT SMITH DANCE WINS THE GREEN DANCE AWARD
Date posted - 31/10/2022
Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) wins the first ever Green Dance Award at the prestigious One Dance UK Award. This award celebrates any form of work that uses dance as a tool to spotlight and respond to the environment and climate crisis.
Eliot Smith says,
All of us at ESD are shocked and overjoyed to be awarded the first-ever ‘The Green Dance Award’ at the One Dance UK Awards 2022. We are grateful for ESD being one of the recipients of this important award.
But, it is not just ESD who is the winner. It was a team effort from the dancers, creatives, artists, composer in residence, musicians, climate activists, local environmentalists, leaders, mentors, audiences, supporters, funders, theatres, local community centres and absolutely everyone who has experienced ESD the past 12 months. We are a part of the global movement of children, young people and adults of all ages and backgrounds who have decided to act in defence of our planet and ESD share this award with them.
We congratulate fellow shortlist nominees Johnny Autin and Motion Control Dance including all those shortlisted and those of you who received an award.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support ESD. Together let’s make our planet greener and use the power of dance to make that change, especially during these challenging and trying times in the arts sector.
CATHERINE COOKSON CHARITABLE TRUST BECOMES LATEST DONOR
Date posted - 27/10/2022
Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) are pleased to announce a kind donation to our current season, Extravaganza. The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust, a north east based grant making organisation, has awarded ESD £1,000 as a contribution towards the on-going outreach activities in Newcastle and across the North East - providing contemporary dance workshops to children, young people and adults who associate themselves with mental health.
LONGSTANDING LEGACY
Dame Catherine Cookson wrote over 100 books, selling more than 123 million copies. She described her books as historical novels about people and conditions she knew. She died at 91, completing her final stories from her sickbed. The trust receives royalties relating to the work of Dame Catherine Cookson and offers financial support to suitable organisations. The trust supports a wide range of activities including education and training, environment and conservation, arts and culture as well as general charitable purposes. The trust’s principal aim is to identify and meet the local needs of the area in which Dame Catherine was brought up and resided. In particular the trust supports work with young or disadvantaged people.
ESD is delighted and grateful to receive this donation from the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust and more so during these challenging times.
If you are involved with a grant-making trust or foundation and would like to find out more about how you can support ESD current and future seasons please contact us at info@eliotsmithdance.com
ELIOT SMITH DANCE MOVES SOUTH OF THE RIVER TYNE
Date posted - 22/09/2022
Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) is relocating to the centre of Gateshead in October 2022. ESD's larger office space will be inside Trinity Centre – a historic building home to Gateway Studio CIO.
Nothing will change in terms of ESD's outreach activities in Newcastle and across the North East whilst exploring new opportunities in Gateshead.
ESD will develop its collaborations with Gateway Studio by teaching on their Gateway Youth Group and NSCD Plus programmes alongside delivering ESD's outreach projects in Newcastle this autumn.
Note to readers:
ESD postal address from October 2022 is Eliot Smith Dance, Trinity Community Centre, High Street, Gateshead, NE8 1EP, United Kingdom
ELIOT SMITH DANCE ANNOUNCES TWO NEW MEMBERS JOINING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Date posted - 16/09/2022
Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) announces two new members joining the Board of Directors. Heather Corlett and Angela Reay join Eliot Smith on the Eliot Smith Company Limited Board.
Eliot Smith said, "After a careful recruitment process in the summer, the advisory panel and I are delighted to welcome Heather Corlett and Angela Reay to the ESC Board of Directors. Collectively they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience and have a shared enthusiasm for taking ESD's vision and ambitions plans forward. I look forward to working alongside them."
Heather Corlett: "I’m so looking forward to bringing my passion and experience from dance, health and well-being whilst supporting ESD's innovative and exciting portfolio and its future seasons."
Angeal Reay: "I am passionate about dance and a long standing admirer of Eliot Smith Dance. I am very much looking forward to strengthening the Company and taking ESD forward."
ESD are now seeking to appoint a further two new Directors, including the role of Chair and Secretary to the Board to work alongside their founder and creative director, Eliot Smith, to help lead ESD through the next stages of ESD’s ambitious and exciting development. For more details on how to apply including the Directors' Recruitment Pack please click here.
About Heather Corlett:
After initially pursuing a professional dance career at the Hammond and Rambert schools, Heather trained in Benesh notation including the Royal Ballet. Heather moved into healthcare in 1992 training as a nurse and completed over 30 years within the NHS in physical and mental health organisation’s as well as regional and national roles often focusing on improvement and engagement.
Heather is currently working across the North East and North Cumbria programme leading the Child Health and Well-being Network. She is passionate about children in the North East to thrive by working across organisational boundaries.
About Angela Reay:
An acclaimed dancer and teacher of classical ballet technique, Angela trained at the Northern Ballet School in Manchester. From the age of 18, Angela was a soloist ballet dancer with the Stadtischen Buhnen Muenster in Germany. She then went on to have an extensive international career as a professional dance artist predominately in the State Theatres of Germany performing in Classical and Neo-Classical ballets, Contemporary dance works, Musical Theatre Productions, Dance Theatre, Operas and Operettas as well as working in television. Angela later worked as a freelance RAD teacher before joining the Performing Arts Academy at Newcastle College and taught the ballet technique on Dance City’s Masters in Advanced Dance Performance.
For the past 10 years she has also worked at Dance City delivering the Professional Ballet Classes for the regions professional dance artists. Angela is a member of UNESCO International Dance Council, a position she was nominated for in 2021 for her services to dance education.
CALL OUT FOR NEW DIRECTORS, CHAIR AND SECRETARY TO THE BOARD
Date posted - 12/09/2022
Following Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) 10th anniversary in 2021, the Company recruited two new Directors in July 2022 and we are now seeking to appoint a further two new Directors, including the role of Chair and Secretary to the Board to work alongside our founder and creative director, Eliot Smith, to help lead ESD through the next stages of ESD’s ambitious and exciting development.
To find out more and to download Director's Recruitment Pack, please click here.
ESD CELEBRATES PRIDE MONTH
Date posted - 01/06/2022
Every year, Pride Month is celebrated in June.
From June 1 – 30, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their allies celebrate their identities, accomplishments, and reflect on the struggle for equality.
This year the UK marks 50 years of the Pride movement.
Across the globe, various events are held during this special month as a way of recognising the influence LGBTQ+ people have had around the world.
The reason why Pride Month is in June is that it marks the police raid that prompted the Stonewall riots – which in turn led to the establishment of LGBTQ+ rights.
The raid took place during the early morning on June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.
In the UK, the first official UK Gay Pride Rally was held in London on July 1, 1972 (chosen as the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the Stonewall riots of 1969) – so 2022 marks the 50th year of the Pride movement on our shores.
On 01 June, ESD dancers take pride and reflect the ongoing pursuit of equality.
Help and Advice? Information and support for LGBT communities and their allies. Contact Stonewall's Information Service FREEPHONE 0800 0502020 Lines are open 9:30 - 4:30 Monday to Friday.
Visit: www.stonewall.org.uk
ANNOUNCING ESD SUMMER INTENSIVE 2022
Date posted - 29/04/2022
Eliot Smith Dance (ESD) presents a SUMMER INTENSIVE from 11 - 13 July 2022 in their home City of Newcastle upon Tyne.
This unique summer intensive is devised for professional dancers, including dance students in their final year of training who are looking to enrich their practice and training, centred around ESD's method.
Each day will comprise two in-depth technique classes (either Ballet, Contemporary (Graham based), and Commercial Jazz, followed by multiple creative sessions led by Eliot Smith.
This tailored intensive is open to a maximum of 20 dancers and must be 17 years of age minimum and welcomes all ages upwards of that. Whether you are new to Eliot's work, or you have already danced with ESD before, there will be something for everyone to discover during this intensive.
The intensive will take place in a specialist dance studio at Newcastle College based at their state-of-the-art Performance Academy near Newcastle's central station.
There is no audition to the intensive, just book your space and ESD will see you there!
Early booking is advised as there are limited spaces available.
To find out more and how to register please click here
WE STAND TO DENOUNCE RACISM IN ALL ITS FORMS
Date posted - 04/06/2020
We stand to denounce racism in all its forms.
We, the undersigned from the cultural sector of the North East, declare that silence is not ok and silence is seen as complicity. Racism has no place in a just and humane society.
Whilst we cannot undo pain and neglect, we are calling on all of us in the arts, cultural, heritage sectors; professional and voluntary to work together to address racism and its deep roots. We must listen, have conversations and most importantly act, we know we need to do better. Everyone is part of the solution - artists, staff, trustees, partners, promoters, audiences and communities.
We want to tackle this together in sharing better understanding and practices. We stand united to bring about change in our thinking and actions as a collective of organisations and individuals.
In the weeks and months to come we will collectively act to build on this statement with concrete steps and actions to demonstrate our commitment to bringing about real change. We ask you to stand with us.