‘Moving With’ is a new community dance project led by local dance artist Lucy Nicholson, alongside filmmaker Jonny Randall.
Brewery Arts has assisted Lucy in hosting a series of workshops in schools across Cumbria, which aim to acknowledge the power and grace in playful movement to love, appreciate, and experience the natural world without challenge.
Emily Davies, Brewery Arts’ Engagement Officer for Dance, said: “It is so important to provide opportunities to our local community, including our local schools, to engage in high-quality creative arts activities which encourage self-expression and enhance learning.”
Lucy has worked closely with the filmmaker, Jonny Randall, in creating an intergenerational dance film featuring her five-year-old son Benji, which inspires local people to connect with nature in a new and creative way.
Funded by the Dance Consortia North West 2022 Research Programme, and with support from Brewery Arts, the workshops invite local school pupils to view and discuss the film, before heading to an outdoor space to participate in a dance activity inspired by the Moving With content and concept; a celebration of the simple things, being together, moving together, listening, and watching.
Lucy said: “There have been some wonderful responses from young people, their ability to notice is quite remarkable. Children are so readily available to take an idea and then play with it, we have much to learn from them.”
“My hope is to inspire people who have participated by firstly experiencing the joy of moving outside, we’re often taught to use the outdoors for activity or exercise, but there is something very magical about just being in nature for no other reason than the feelings of wellbeing, contentment and peace it can bring.”
The film is accompanied by a programme of guided dance walks and hopes to introduce new audiences to dance. It also engages those who might not normally connect with their local landscape, and promotes critical conversations surrounding our environment.
Lucy concluded: “I think it is essential to nurture our young people who will shortly become the leaders and part of the communities that will hopefully take positive and effective action in the future, and I think a shift in the human relationship to our environment is really essential to this – We Are Nature!”
To chat with our Learning & Engagement Team about how Brewery Arts can support your current project, please email emily.davies@breweryarts.co.uk
