Spectacular Staffordshire wide Cultural Olympiad project to be revealed

Spectacular Staffordshire wide Cultural Olympiad project to be revealed

Plans for a spectacular Staffordshire wide cultural Olympiad project is to be unveiled at an exiting launch event in Newcastle-Under-Lyme on 17 January 2012. 

The event will celebrate the launch of Dance Connected and a high energy dynamic county-wide project called Get Dancing inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

The Get Dancing programme is entirely focussed on participation, in which people around Staffordshire get the opportunity to take part in dance classes.  Participants will eventually perform to a crowd of thousands as the project culminates in a spectacular live performance in Stafford Castle in July 2012. 

 

£92,000 of funding has been secured from Dancing for the Games for the project, which includes lots of ways for communities to get involved including a series of open workshops led by the internationally acclaimed Retina Dance Company.

Naomi Temple, Programme Manager for Dancing for the Games said: “We are delighted that Get Dancing is part of our Dancing for the Games programme. This project gives people from across Staffordshire a rare opportunity to work with internationally renowned dance company Retina and to create their own choreography to be performed throughout the county.

 

Pat Corfield, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Customers, said:  We are already still buzzing from the news that the Olympic Torch Relay will be coming through many towns and villages in Staffordshire.  This project adds even more excitement to the year ahead which allows even more people from our communities to get involved with 2012, and have their Olympic moment to shine.

 

Members of the media are invited along to the launch which promises to be an exciting and innovative event which will include input from the West Midlands Cultural Olympiad - Dancing for The Games, performances from young dancers from the Get Dancing project, a presentation by Young Dance Ambassadors from East Staffordshire Dance Development Programme and the Regional Dance Agency DanceXchange all taking place At 10.30am – 12.30pm, 17th January in the splendid new Jubilee 2, Health and Wellbeing Centre, Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Any member of the community wanting to get involved in get Dancing can contact Alison Lord, Dance Development Officer for Staffordshire County Council on 01785 278647, e-mail

alison.lord@staffordshire.gov.uk| or visit www.danceconnected.org.uk|

 

Ends

Note to editors:

Photographic and interview opportunities are available at the launch event to take place immediately following the official launch presentations at approximately 12:30pm

To confirm attendance or arrange interviews please contact Russel Gethings (russel.gethings@staffordshire.gov.uk|)  on 01784 277728

 

About Dancing for the Games and the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad:

Dancing for the Games is part of the Cultural Olympiad in the West Midlands

and is inspired by London 2012. It is a three year programme funded by

Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting

cultural and sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic

Games, Arts Council England West Midlands and Advantage West Midlands.

Dancing for the Games uses the inspiration of the London 2012 Olympic and

Paralympic Games to get as many people as possible dancing across the

West Midlands.

 

 

The Cultural Olympiad in the West Midlands is already touching the lives of

thousands of people. To date some 347,400 people in the West Midlands

have been involved in the Cultural Olympiad as audiences or participants,

either as part of Open Weekend, the Inspire Programme, or through specific

regional programmes. For more information about the Cultural Olympiad in

the West Midlands, please visit,

www.wmfor2012.com/culture|

Legacy Trust UK is a Principal Funder of the Cultural Olympiad and the

London 2012 Festival, and is in a unique position to help communities across

the UK gain lasting and life-changing benefits from the 2012 Games. The

Trust has allocated £40 million of funding to 12 programmes in each nation

and region of the UK and four national programmes. This funding will act as

a catalyst to link grassroots activities across into the Olympic programme, so

that people from all walks of life – not just athletes and sports fans – can be

a part of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

 

 

For more information on Legacy

Trust UK please visit

www.legacytrust.org.uk|

 

 

Dancing Media queries relating to Cultural Olympiad in the West Midlands

Helen Stallard

PR on behalf of the

Mob: 0774 033 9604

Email:

helen@helenstallard.co.u|