Sculpture and Dance
As part of our cross-disciplinary projects, we have partnered with different organisations in recent years to find connections between sculpture and the medium of dance, including professional dance residencies and performances at Roche Court.
Springboard
Springboard is a collaborative project between The Roche Court Educational Trust and Arts University Bournemouth.
Springboard is an annual project that brings together Sculpture and Dance, in collaboration with BA (Hons) Dance students at Arts University Bournemouth. Every year since 2018 first year undergraduates have created original choreographic material in response to selected artworks at Roche Court Sculpture Park, and worked with regional schools and groups to pass on their skills, before a public performance at Pavilion Dance South West.
In 2022, students created innovative routines in response to Laura Ford’s ‘Espaliered Girl’, Kenneth Martin’s ‘Construction’ and Anthony Gormley’s ‘Break’.
Photographs of AUB dance students taken by Andy Beeson/ RedManhattan photography.
Surface Area Dance Theatre at Roche Court
In May 2022, Surface Area Dance Theatre (a ‘community interest company’ comprised of deaf and hearing dancers), came to Roche Court to deliver three promenade performances inspired by the New Art Centre’s exhibition of work by Anthony Caro, as well as sculpture by Antony Gormley and Richard Long. As part of their residency, Surface Area delivered workshops with Mary Hare School for the Deaf and Arts University Bournemouth, inviting students to trial SUBPACS, a pioneering device that emits the vibrations of the music, ensuring that all dancers perform to the same sensory experiences. Also, as part of this collaboration, deaf architect and art facilitator, Martin Glover, delivered a BSL tour of the sculpture park to students from Mary Hare.
This collaboration was part of our ‘Inclusive Jubilee’ Project, ensuring that the collection of modern and contemporary sculpture at Roche Court is accessible to all.
This project was part of our ‘Inclusive Jubilee’ and was generously funded by Arts Council England’s ‘Let’s Create’ fund.
A film, directed and edited by artist filmmaker Lizzie Sykes, documenting Surface Area’s performance at Roche Court can be found below.
