Introduction
At the Bradford School of Art, we recognise the importance of aligning our curriculum with the needs of the local economy and preparing our students for future educational and employment opportunities. Our partnership with Dance United Yorkshire (DUY) plays a pivotal role in achieving these objectives, particularly within our performing arts and media courses.
Understanding Local Economic Needs
To ensure our curriculum is responsive to the local economy, we engage with Dance United Yorkshire to gain insights into the skills and competencies that are in demand within the creative sector. Through regular meetings and collaborative discussions, we identify trends and opportunities that inform our curriculum design. This partnership enables use to tailor our programs to equip students with relevant skills that meet the needs of the local arts and performance industries.
Curriculum Design and Implementation
Our collaborative efforts with Dance United Yorkshire extend to the design and implementation of our curriculum. We work closely with DUY to integrate real-world experiences and industry standards into our courses. This partnerships allows us to provide our learners with the following:
Live Brief Projects
Performing Arts students participate in live brief projects facilitated by DUY. These projects challenge students to apply their skills in real-time scenarios, fostering creativity and adaptability. Students gain firsthand experience of working with clients, enhancing their understanding of the professional environment.
Student Placement Opportunities
We offer student placement opportunities with Dance United Yorkshire, where they are auditioned, and gain placements as role models, gaining invaluable experience and insight into the working of a professional arts organisation. This exposure prepares them for future employment by allowing them to develop practical skills and build a professional network.
Workshop and Skills Development
DUY conducts workshops and employer talks tailored to our students’ needs, focusing on specific skills such as choreography, performance techniques, and production management. These workshops are designed to enhance students’ learning experiences and provide them with up-to-date industry knowledge.
Performance Company Participation
Our students have the opportunity to audition for and join DUY’s performance company. This involvement allows them to engage in professional-level performances, further refining their skills and increasing their employability in the arts sector.
Collaboration Across Departments
Our performing arts students are not the only beneficiaries of this partnership. Students from our media make up and special effects course, photography, and media programs collaborate with DUY to create make up looks for performances, and document various projects. The interdisciplinary approach fosters creativity and allows students to see the interconnectedness of different artistic disciplines.
The Collaboration between the Bradford School of Art and Dance United Yorkshire is instrumental in ensuring our curriculum remains relevant and effective in preparing students for education, employment, and professional success in the creative industries. Through live projects, placements, workshops, and cross-department collaborations, we equip our students with the necessary skills and experiences to thrive in an ever-evolving job market. We are committed to continually refining our partnerships with DUY to ensure we meet the changing needs of our local economy and provide students with the best possible educational outcomes.
Project Highlights
DUXY Boys Dance Project in collaboration with Dance United Yorkshire
Our performing Arts boys have been working hard on a dance project this term, in collaboration with Dance United Yorkshire. The project has received funding from The Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation for an exciting new initiative, ‘DUXY’. The project will expand opportunities for boys and young men across Bradford to participate in high quality dance programming. Through workshops, performance events and weekly classes, participants will be inspired and encouraged to unlock their hidden potential as dancers, choreographers and performers. DUY are working with 4 schools, bringing together 60 boys/young men to participate in this exciting new project. ‘DUXY’.
The project commenced with a ‘Day of Dance’ led by DUY and Motionhouse, a company with over 30 years’ experience known for their athletic physicality and powerful narratives. Our ‘Day of Dance’ was held at Kala Sangam Arts Centre on Friday 13thJanuary 9.15am -3.00pm. Here students participated in a variety of workshops, they watched a short performance and had the opportunity to talk to Motionhouse Rehearsal Director, Junior Cunningham. Junior shared his journey into dance and welcomed questions from the group.
Since then, the school groups and our Performing Arts boys have received weekly sessions led by DUY artist Vince Virr. Sessions have been working at building skills, developing techniques and are about to culminate in a new piece which will be shared at our ‘DUXY Performance’ on Tuesday 21st March at The Alhambra Studio. After the performance DUY we will launch a news boys dance company, a free weekly provision for the dancers to continue their journey. Here are some pictures taken from the Day of Dance.
Lastly, we were recently in the Telegraph and Argus with a nice little article regarding our project, I’ve attached a link below for you to take a look.
Dance United Yorkshire is helping boys with DUXY Project | Bradford Telegraph and Argus (thetelegraphandargus.co.uk)Edit
Dance United Placement Project
Our year 2 learners kicked the year off by going on a three week work placement project with Dance United Yorkshire in September. They worked on an intensive timetable at Allstars Dance Studio in the centre of Bradford and worked with the DUY team to develop a new piece of choreography which will be used later in the year when it is delivered to programmes across the district. The group then returned in house and performed in our studio.
For more details on DUY please follow the link below to visit their website.
Dance United Yorkshire (duy.org.uk)
