Summer News 2022

Dear GATHER UP friends,

Hello! We are coming to the end of our 2021-22 programme before taking a Summer break until September so wanted to be in touch to say wow - what a fab 10 months-ish of dancing together! An awesome 120 of you joined in along the way!

It’s been incredible to keep gathering and return, grow, and practice our dancing together. We hope GATHER UP has continued to nurture and offer good fuel for yourself and your work. 

Our process of reviewing how we do things and what we offer through this programme is ongoing. If you have a few minutes, we would greatly appreciate your feedback and suggestions for how we can improve what we offer as well as any thinking you might have on what GATHER UP could grow to support dancers in Bristol best. We’ve set up this form to gather anonymous thoughts or be in touch via email: info.gatherup@gmail.com Thank you!

Heartfelt thank yous going out to all who helped us deliver this year’s programme by sharing practices, leading and hosting classes and workshops, and being in our Library of People. This is a big thank you to you, Vicki Hearne, Gemma Prangle, Lisa May Thomas, Ania Varez, Bryn Thomas, Deepraj Singh, Anna Kaszuba, Crystal Zillwood, Beth Powlesland, Linzy Na Nakorn, Tara Silverthorn, Jane Mason, Rosemary Lee, Akeim Toussaint Beck, Anushiye Yarnell, Jo Hellier, Mary Eddowes, Sian Goldharber, Katy Noakes, Jo Bannon, Sarah Kingswell, Jess McCromack and Helen Wilson. 

And a big thank you to our project partners Bristol Old Vic, Arnolfini, Tobacco Factory Theatres and funders Arts Council England and Bristol City Council, and to Bristol Dance Futures for the additional support. 

We are very happy to have been able to run two rounds of the Response Pot and by picking names out of the hat, we have awarded £500 bursaries to Jo Hellier, Aine Ashby, Holly Thomas, Jan-Ming Lee, Laura Moy and Nat Whittingham. We can’t wait to hear where your dancing goes with this little injection of cash. Look out for our next rounds opening up here in 2022-23. 

And here’s to more dancing in the Autumn! 

  • Morning classes will resume on Monday 5 September with Kip Johnson leading the first block of classes.

  • Annie Edwards will visit and share her practice at our next workshop on Saturday 24th September - save the date! Details and booking is now on our website!

  • A reminder also that our Library of People is now open to anyone working with dance in the South West region. It will reopen in September and will remain open until June 2023. Find out more here! 

If you’d like to be kept in the GATHER UP loop, follow us: @gather_up_dance on IG and @GATHERUP on Fb.

We really hope you have a great summer! Enjoy soaking in the warmth. 

With love,

Laura, Laila and Katherine

Katherine Hall