In the year that birthed Barbenheimer and got us all chatting about ChatGPT and the rise of AI, we created more opportunities for emerging dancers, commissioned new artistic work and reached new audiences…
We began the year with a bang and the opening ceremony of Leeds 2023 Year of Culture, aptly titled ‘The Awakening’. NSCD students across year groups performed choreography by our CEO & Principal Sharon Watson to a live audience at Leeds’ Headingley Stadium, marking the start of a vibrant year celebrating Leeds cultural past, present and future.
Photo © Tom Joy
Early in the year we hosted our annual Knowledge Exchange Conference and held our Black Women in Leadership Symposium, welcoming over 200 delegates for productive conversations and meaningful action around resilience in the arts, and diversity and inclusion within leadership.
Our next Conference - Arts & Citizenship: Moving & Belonging is just around the corner. Find out more
March saw us stage the UK Premiere of Gran Bolero by Jesus Rubio Gamo at Leeds Corn Exchange to an audience of 350, a memorable performance from our postgraduate dancers at an iconic Leeds landmark.
We had the pleasure in May of working with none other than two-time Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae on a brand new production for Leeds 2023. Seeds, Dreams and Constellations featured new music from Corinne, choreography by NSCD CEO & Principal Sharon Watson and performances from NSCD postgraduate students and guests, and was enjoyed by over 700 audience members at our very own venue Riley Theatre.
In 2023 we welcomed over 9500 audience members to experience thrilling and thought-provoking live dance, both at our home venue Riley Theatre and in and around the city of Leeds. We reached an additional 2000 audience members across the course of our postgraduate company VERVE’s 2023 tour, taking works by KOR’SIA and NSCD alumni Jamaal Burkmar (Extended Play Dance) and Faye Tan to venues up and down the country.
In 2023 we launched two exciting new postgraduate degrees - MA Dance Teaching & Facilitating and MA Interdisciplinary Dance Performance, offering more routes into the profession for those wishing to pursue a career in either dance teaching or the increasingly expanded field of performance.
Applications to both these courses for 2024 entry are currently open. See more
This year we were thrilled to announce a number of new partnerships, including with Messums 4X20 Choreography Platform, Bonnie Bird Choreography Fund, Lille 3000 and inclusive dance company Stopgap, aimed at supporting future generations of inclusive dance performers and makers.
It was a year of good news as we once again scored highly in the National Student Survey, achieving over 90% in four key areas, Ranked #1 in the Guardian University League Tables for Dance* and received a rating of Silver and Gold in the latest Teaching Excellence Framework.
*as a former member of the Conservatoire for Dance & Drama
Thanks 2023, you’ve been great! Here’s to an equally inspiring 2024!
