South East Dance Announces Second Hand Dance as First Resident Company at The Dance Space

Headed by artist and choreographer Rosie Heafford, Second Hand Dance creates bold, accessible and sensory dance experiences for children and adults.

By: Aug. 18, 2022
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South East Dance Announces Second Hand Dance as First Resident Company at The Dance Space

Brighton and Hove's first ever building designed especially for dance has announced its first resident company will be Second Hand Dance. The Dance Space, which opened in July, is run by South East Dance, who have a longstanding relationship with Second Hand Dance.

Headed by artist and choreographer Rosie Heafford, Second Hand Dance creates bold, accessible and sensory dance experiences for children and adults.

As Resident Company, Second Hand Dance will benefit the facilities offered by the new building, including priority access to rehearsal space, use of its wellbeing spaces as well as accessible studios. Being based at The Dance Space means being able to make the most of the artistic community in Brighton and Hove and the wider region. South East Dance will also create ways for the company to share and seek feedback on their work in progress with younger audiences.

South East Dance's Artistic Director Cath James said "We were keen to develop our relationship with Second Hand Dance as our first Resident Company, because their work for children really resonates with our growing focus on early years audiences, supported by our Little Big Dance programme. And it's vital that we support female, disabled-led companies like this one to thrive in a sector that continues to be very male-dominated."

"As Resident Company, Second Hand Dance joins us at a particularly exciting time. With our new building opening we'll have the capacity to support Rosie's ambition for her company, and can provide that necessity - a home base, from which she can springboard into the future."

Rosie Heafford says: "I'm thrilled! This is a chance to deepen our relationship and create space to explore questions around making and touring work for young audiences and being a disabled-led company. Second Hand Dance has been supported by South East Dance since we first started in 2013 across a variety of projects, professional development and business development opportunities. Their advice and encouragement across the years has been deeply valued."

Established in 2013, disabled-led SecondHand Dance create beautiful, sensory dance experiences (both live and digital) that are accessible and welcoming to all bodies, working locally, nationally and internationally from their base in Surrey. The company's way of working is centred on co-creation and collaboration with audiences and artists from many disciplines, with the vision of creating a world where dance, empathy, play and exploratory movement are central to the lives of children and adults. Recently, Second Hand Dance Film's Night Tree Films featured on Sadler's Wells Digital Stage over the Christmas season 2021/22 and the company toured the UK this Spring with We Touch, We Play, We Dance



About South East Dance


South East Dance is an arts charity working with dance professionals and people across the region to make the South East a thriving home for dance.

We support dance artists that specialise in all forms, from breakdancing to ballroom, with funding, tailored advice and networking opportunities throughout their careers. As passionate believers in the health and wellbeing benefits of dance, we also work hard to bring movement to as many people as possible too - particularly those who might not have had the opportunity or the confidence to give it a go before.

This summer we opened the South East's new home for dance, Brighton & Hove's first purpose-built dance house - The Dance Space. Located in the heart of Brighton & Hove, our state-of-the-art dance studio and community hub has been over a decade in the planning and making and we can't wait to welcome everyone inside.

www.southeastdance.org.uk

@southeastdance

About Second Hand Dance

Second Hand Dance is a disabled led dance company based in Surrey, England that works locally, nationally and internationally. Established in 2013, we create touring shows and digital danc experiences for children and adults. We collaborate with dancers, film makers, animators, musicians and our audiences in a co-creation process to produce joyful, inspirational shows that hold the audience experience at its centre Our work has a growing international profile as well as local and regional impact. We have toured the globe - from the UK to Europe, China, Canada, and the USA. We are a recipient of Arts Council England strategic Funds, Elevate, and sit on the Assitej International Access Committee.



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