Summer 2024 saw TeesDance bring a large-scale spectacular mass dance performance HOME to Middlesbrough Mela, the town’s largest celebration of multi-cultural identity and unity.

Commissioned by Borderlands Creative People and Places and funded by Arts Council England, the project engaged a mighty 3,432 participants – in dance groups and workshops, craft pop-ups, crochet circles and summer dance camps.  It was six months in the making and featured dancers aged 7 to 73 from a diverse range of backgrounds and dance styles. 

TeesDance worked with a huge range of groups across Middlesbrough including South Asian dance groups; LGBTQIA+ groups; Afrobeat groups; and learning-disabled adults.  A team of professional dance artists worked with community dancers – under the creative guidance of Associate Artist Jennifer Essex - to produce a joyous and moving 45-minute promenade piece that examined what the notion of HOME meant to these different communities. 

The soundtrack was been beautifully composed by artists Nick Pierce and Bridie Jackson and featured the voices of many different Middlesbrough residents on what HOME means to them – from asylum seekers and refugees to sewing groups in Hemlington.

The theme became ever more poignant when the original Middlesbrough Mela event had to be postponed following the riots that affected Middlesbrough so badly.

People who didn’t feel able to dance contributed thousands of crochet flowers for a spectacular field of flowers that formed part of the piece.  Whippet Up CIC produced some spectacular cardboard buildings representing Middlesbrough landmarks (who thought we would ever see a bright orange and pink Transporter Bridge dancing through Albert Park!). There were also deckchairs featuring the work of many community groups in creating a unique place-based design on the fabric.

The project has been captured on film in several ways – through a documentary that followed participants through the six-month process as well as a film of the performance itself.  We hope you enjoy them - provided below.

FULL PROJECT REPORT - click HERE

TeesDance:

Director: Amy Swalwell

Senior Producer: Aaron Bowman

Marketing Manager: Carmel Ramsay

Project photographer: Francis Fitzgerald

Project videographer: Laura Degnan

Full list of contributors, partners and venues

Commissioned by Borderlands Creative People & Places & funded by Arts Council England