Culture And Memory

Call and Response: a project to map the dance heritage of the North East.

Our project aims are to develop shared understanding of the diversity and interplay of global dance traditions. We will investigate three different regional dance heritage forms: breakdance, Northumbrian folk and ballet. While on the surface these forms appear very different, consultation with these communities revealed shared characteristics around democratised participation; evolution of the form; and their range of practice, from elite performance to social dance and communities of practice. This “Call and Response” framework will allow Dance City to co-create understanding of diverse dance heritage, and to investigate the relationship between the region’s dance heritage and the flows of migration in, and the influence of diasporas on, the Northeast. Our project will bring diverse communities together to document their dance heritage, leading to the creation of a digital archive. This will lay the foundations for our strategy to protect and invigorate the region’s unique dance heritage for the long-term.