Black Dance Digital Revolution is a nationally significant project working with regional partners; Serendipity (Leicester), Northern School of Contemporary Dance (Leeds), Dance City (Newcastle), Dance Umbrella (London) and beyond. It draws on the dance heritage of these four cities to develop a programme of digital and physical work including dance films, workshops and artist led residencies. Black Digital Dance Revolution explores how digital technologies can be integrated to push the boundaries of how artistic work is created, documented and shared.
Initiatives include Let’s Dance in the City, a series where dancers responded to the energy of the city to which they are connected. Beginning in Leicester in 2022, the project encourages dancers to take ownership of public spaces, whether they are structures of power, places to gather or historic landmarks. As the project grows Let’s Dance in the City will continue to draw on the dance and location heritage of other cities across the UK.
Interpretations – Siren Calls: To an Illusive Journey premiered in October 2022. The film showcases behind the scenes footage and interviews with the creative team behind the commission. Commissioned by Serendipity and composed by Philip Herbert, the project sought to unpack how two different choreographers, Monique Jonas and Thomas Talawa Prestø, responded to the embodied the experiences of the Caribbean migration in the mid nineteenth century. The documentary showcases both the energy of different choreographers and spaces, but also the personal stories that have shaped each artists’ contribution to this multifaceted commission.
In 2023, Serendipity will present the world premiere of The Silent Beat: A Haptic Conversation. Creative Producer, Pawlet Brookes brings together Antoine Hunter and Soweto Kinch to present an experimental work investigating the ways in which haptic technology can be used to relay music in new ways and the practical applications this might have for Deaf dancers and choreographers.