TeesDance Announce Successful Commissions for New Dance Works in the Tees Valley
TeesDance is proud to announce the successful commissioning of new dance works for 2025, which will celebrate and reflect the cultural richness of the Tees Valley. This initiative will showcase the diverse talents of local artists, companies, and festivals, with many creators presenting work in the region for the first time. The project highlights the vibrancy of the local artistic community and TeesDance’s commitment to fostering creativity and innovation in the area.
TeesDance, in partnership with Darlington Borough Council, Hartlepool Borough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, have supported four commissions, each with £5,000 in funding. Below are the commissioned organisations and their exciting projects:
Darlington:
Project: Carriage
Resound Theatre
Resound Theatre is an emerging physical theatre company based in Darlington, formed in 2022 as a partnership between Elliot Mann and Matt Wilks. Their work blends object theatre, intuitive movement, and sonic design to create ground-shaking theatrical experiences. Carriage features two workers in a cluttered space filled with railway materials, trapped in a cycle of labour - inspired by the momentous first journey on the Stockton & Darlington Railway 200 years ago. Through a journey of discovery and invention, they transition from rigid routine to the euphoria of creativity. Blending object puppetry and acrobatic movement, the performance celebrates human connection and the magic of invention, highlighting what can be achieved together.
Hartlepool:
Project: The Lighthouse Project
The Lighthouse by Beth Veitch. Credit: Saya Naruse
Beth Veitch is a dance artist, facilitator, and maker based in the North East, whose practice centres around the creation of collaborative artistic work with a Northern voice. The Lighthouse Project will involve the community of Hartlepool, a live folk musician, and two professional dancers. It explores themes of architecture, safety, and community resilience, using movement as a metaphor for the iconic beacons that guard our coastlines. The project invites everyone to participate, whether in the process, performance, or as an audience member, emphasising that we can be lighthouses for one another in difficult times.
Redcar and Cleveland:
Project: Up in the Sky
Autin Dance Theatre. Image from Parade performed at Splore Festival.
Founded in 2013 by acclaimed choreographer Johnny Autin and based in Birmingham, Autin Dance Theatre is a pioneering touring company dedicated to inspiring and educating through socially relevant, multi-disciplinary arts. This outdoor aerial dance and physical theatre performance, which will be mounted at the Between the Tides festival, explores themes of displacement, change, resilience, and belonging. Following two siblings navigating challenges using a striking 7-metre truss structure, the performance combines dynamic aerial and ground dance elements, engaging young audiences and inviting them to reflect on their own adaptability and the power of connection amidst adversity.
Stockton:
Lizzie Klotz and Luca Rutherford
Project: The Fabric of Us
Lizzie Klotz and Luca Rutherford at Quaking Houses, Durham as part of a project with No More Nowt. Photo by Amelia Read.
Lizzie Klotz and Luca Rutherford have been collaborating for over six years, developing work as an interdisciplinary duo spanning dance theatre, theatre, public art, installation, and community engagement. This new outdoor dance work, to be mounted at the Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF), focuses on connection, informed by community engagement that explores relationships in our modern technological world. It delves into the places we meet, the moments we connect, and the uniting threads in our lives, emphasising the importance of togetherness in a divided society.
TeesDance champions dance across the Tees Valley, striving for excellence in dance performance developing artistic and aesthetic understanding and providing opportunities for community engagement.
Through a range of initiatives, TeesDance works to empower and develop local artists by providing platforms for their creativity and supporting the development of new work. The organisation strives to cultivate an inclusive environment where diverse voices can be heard, and all members of the community have access to high-quality dance experiences that support artistic, cultural, and traditional appreciation.
In addition to the MoveAhead commissions, TeesDance regularly delivers workshops, performances, and events aimed at fostering collaboration and connection among artists, audiences, and communities. By delivering innovative dance projects, TeesDance enhances and mobilises the cultural landscape of the Tees Valley and encourages broader participation in the arts. These efforts are made possible through support from Arts Council England and the Tees Valley Combined Authority, enabling TeesDance to continue its mission of enriching the region's cultural vitality.
“We are proud to support these innovative projects that reflect the diverse talents of artists in the Tees Valley,” said Amy Swalwell, Director of TeesDance. “Each project addresses important themes and promises to engage and inspire our communities.”
For further enquiries, please contact our Marketing Manager, Carmel Ramsay on [email protected]
About TeesDance
TeesDance is the leading sector support organisation for dance in the Tees Valley, providing a world where everyone has access to high-quality, vibrant, diverse dance experiences – no matter who you are or where you live.
TeesDance is dedicated to supporting artists in the Tees Valley region. Through various initiatives and partnerships, TeesDance seeks to enrich the cultural landscape and foster artistic innovation in dance. By offering support to local artists and creating opportunities for community engagement, TeesDance plays a pivotal role in making dance accessible and relevant to all.
We increase equality of opportunity across our diverse communities by removing barriers to access dance. With the power to enhance the qualities of life and achieve social change, dance brings communities together, providing cultural and traditional appreciation. Dance offers a wide range of physical, psychological, social, and emotional benefits.