State Of Emergency. The Independent Voice for Black Dance

Education

State of Emergency has extensive experience in delivering a successful range of educational programmes, having access to a large database of black dance artists, teachers and performers. We can tailor a programme of work for the full range of primary and secondary school, college and university participants.

We have an extensive workshop portfolio programme, with accompanying teachers’ packs, based on issues such as multi-culturalism, citizenship, personal, social and health education and Black History Month. State of Emergency also offers INSET Training programmes for teachers, youth dance workshops, with workshops specially targeted at boys, community and integrated workshops and residencies.

Education work is available all year round and projects can be tailored to meet a wide variety of specific needs.

 

Desert Crossings education workshops and residencies available NOW at subsidised rates.

In 2011 State of Emergency toured a new dance piece, Desert Crossings by South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma. Alongside the performance tour, the company delivered an education programme. Dance students’ feedback was consistently that the experience had expanded their training, challenged their technique and athleticism and given them new ways into choreography.

Desert Crossings is touring the UK during 2012 and for a limited time only, we are offering a subsidised programme of educational workshops and residencies. To find out more contact Clare at: education@stateofemergencyltd.com

 

Workshops

We offer workshop days and longer residencies, often delivered by the dancers in the original productions. You can book a standard workshop as outlined below or contact us to discuss creating a tailor-made programme for your school including collaborative projects with other school departments (eg Dance and Science).

A day workshop (usually four hours teaching time), includes:

  • Warm up (contemporary / African fusion)
  • Learning sections of repertoire
  • Creative tasks exploring the repertoire
  • Performance / sharing and cool down
  • A free resource pack

Repertoire includes:

  • Desert Crossings by Gregory Maqoma
    (Themes: climate change, mass migration, shared stories)
  • Rosa Moments by Jeanefer Jean Charles
    (Themes: Civil Rights, Rosa Parks story)
  • It’s a Boy! by Jeanefer Jean Charles
    (Themes: male relationships, peer pressure)
  • 4s’kin by Colin Poole
    (Themes: the journey from boyhood to manhood)

Resource packs are also available to purchase separately here and provide a deeper understanding of selected works by leading black choreographers, commissioned by State of Emergency, whilst also addressing such themes as culture and identity, civil rights, climate change, peer group pressure, and gender issues.

 
Mission Possible
Photo © Piers Rawson

Mission-Links

These workshops are built around the themes of the Mission Tours, ie. Mission Possible (emphasis on work with boys, and fathers and sons), Trans-Mission (Civil Rights and Cultural Identity), Desert Crossings (Dance and the environment/landscape) and Mini-Mission (early years dance based on themes of personal identity and being happy with who you are).

 

Socially Engaged Work

Work with Young Offenders, 2011

The Make Your Move programme seeks to connect with young people through creative educational workshops, residencies and performance. Make Your Move will explore issues of the influence of peer relationships, the impact of gang culture and the reasons behind the increase in knife and gun crime.

We believe that dance has a unique and key role in tackling social issues and providing physical exploration of challenging situations that can be understood and diffused through movement.
Dance can engage everyone, even those who have been excluded, marginalised or written-off by society.
We are striving to communicate with young people and working in partnership with choreographers Irven Lewis and Curtis James, we aim to reach and engage with young people in an accessible way, capturing their attention, informing through dance theatre performance, and creating a safe environment in which they feel able to ask questions.

We want to encourage young people to make informed decisions about their lives and to build confidence in their ability to take control of their own destinies.

 

Per-Mission, 2011

Per-Mission is a ground breaking initiative, working in partnership with Arts and Health, targeted at teenagers, and incorporating a touring show and educational workshop programme.

An example of the themes covered include issues of teenage social and sexual behaviour and sexual health. This programme aims to connect with and empower young people to discuss and debate and take responsibility for their own well being.