ADAD News
Events
Throughout the summer months ADAD has hosted and co-hosted a number of events relating to, and celebrating dance of the African Diaspora. We kicked off the summer season with our first Open Stage for dance of the African Diaspora on Thursday 26th June at the De Valois Studio Theatre, London Studio Centre. The event was attended by 60 people from a wide range of backgrounds and gave five artists an opportunity to showcase their work. The performances included contemporary and traditional African, lyrical Hip Hop and contemporary Jazz. The next Open Stage event is scheduled for Tuesday 23rd September and is being hosted in collaboration with Independent Dance at Siobhan Davies studios. Click here for details.
The ADAD endorsed Big Dance 2008 event was an Integrated African dance master class hosted at Irie! Dance Theatre’s studios on Saturday 5th July, 2008. The class was a rare opportunity for people of all physical abilities to explore African dance movement. ADAD provided bursaries for 4 disabled artists to attend the workshop, which was led by Funmi Adewole.
Along with the African and Caribbean Business Network, Kalabash Movement, Outreach Management Services, The Trumpet and Amnesty International, ADAD supported the second annual West Africa Night on Saturday July 19th. The event was organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), a charity focused on bringing political change in West Africa. The evening was a celebration of the contribution made by the West African community to the UK. ADAD supported a dance performance provided by ADANTA, a traditional West African dance troupe. The event was attended by over 200 guests.
New ADAD Administrator
ADAD welcomes new administrator Paula Allen who joined us in early July. Paula has hit the ground running supporting our busy summer schedule and keeping the office organised.
ADAD’s photographic exhibition ‘Black Dance in Britain:1930’s to 1990’s Moments’ is back in London at Stratford Circus!
The exhibition has hit the road again. Having done successful runs at the Theatre Museum and the Peepul Centre, the photographs moved to Stratford Circus in early August as ADAD joined East London Dance and Stratford Circus with the support of London Borough of Newham and the Heritage Lottery Fund to take part in Portrait of a Nation.
Portrait of a Nation is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the UK’s youth to explore and express what is special to them about where they come from, their local culture, community and identity. This unique campaign is being run during Liverpool’s year-long reign as the European City of Culture 2008 by the Liverpool Culture Company, 17 other partner cities and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The exhibition was used as a starting point for creative exploration during a 3 week multi-disciplinary arts summer school hosted at Stratford Circus. It will remain in East London until the end of November and will be transferred to The Drum arts centre in Birmingham in early 2009.
Applications for the ADAD Trailblazers Fellowships 2008-9 are now open. The deadline is September 8th.
