Discover a world of dance this May at the University of Chichester
Dazzling dance performances, digital installations and workshops will be coming to Chichester this May, as part of an exciting 2-day event hosted by the University of Chichester. What Dance Can Do, which takes place on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May, will spotlight intergenerational dance with talks and workshops from leading figures in the world of dance for older people.
What Dance Can Do is jam-packed with workshops and talks by renowned artists and academics working in the field of intergenerational, community and over 60s dance. The day includes a community showcase, film, digital installations and outdoor performances and culminates with an informal sharing of work made through an intensive residency with choreographer Galit Liss facilitated by Encore East’s ‘Pushing Boundaries’.
Everyone is welcome at the event, either for a full day as a delegate or for the community showcase. On Sunday, a special ‘pay what you can’ scheme will be in place to help welcome as wide an audience as possible to enjoy the performances and talks.
Outdoor performances include work from Flexer & Sandiland, Three Score Dance and Virginia Farman. The community showcase will include companies from Brighton, Hastings, Ipswich and London. University of Chichester MA students will also perform together with Flexer & Sandiland dancers and community performers in the installation An Obscure Camera devised by digital artist Nic Sandiland.
As well as the many performances on offer, a number of workshops will look at topics including the representation of older professional performers in dance, the use of digital technology in artistic and health contexts, dance as catalyst for civic conversion, future projects and best practice across the creative industries. The Saturday workshops are led by Molly Wright, Galit Liss, Maria Kapsali, Virginia Farman and Yael Flexer. Sunday’s workshops, presented by Flexer & Sandiland and Encore East, are led by Galit Liss, Luke Birch, Nic Sandiland & Yael Flexer.
The event is organised by the dance department team including Dr. Gemma Harman, Virginia Farman and Jason Keenan Smith (also Artistic Director of Three Score Dance) together with Dr. Yael Flexer, Reader and Senior Lecturer in Dance at the University of Chichester and Artistic Director of Mapdance. Yael is also co-founder of dance company Flexer & Sandiland with Nic Sandiland. What Dance Can Do is part-funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Yael said: “We are so excited to be able to present What Dance Can Do at the University of Chichester again following the success of the 2023 conference. The event is a catalyst for conversations about and exchanges between older professional dance artists, community dancers, leaders and participants. A chance for all to share practice, explore new ideas, reflect, recharge and celebrate the fantastic work happening across the sector. The conference serves as a focal point to consider the impact and benefits dance can bring to other disciplines and conversations including health, well-being and civic action as well as focusing on artistic excellence and innovation.
“This year we have gone further than before exploring different modes of performance including indoor, outdoor and in-the-round, the use of technology as instigator for choreographic interventions as well as showing two films specifically made with intergenerational and older performers. We have also been fortunate to host Encore East’s pushing boundaries with Galit Liss allowing for more in-depth practice as research. It’s a full two days of dancing, reflection and joy, early booking recommended to avoid disappointment!”
Tickets are on sale now at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/universityofchichesterconservatoire/t-xmkkmol (Saturday) and https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/chichester/university-of-chichester/what-dance-can-do-sunday/2025-05-25/10:00/t-avneapl (Sunday). Prices start at £5 for concessions for the Community Showcase and Galit Liss informal performance, with delegate tickets for the whole day from £20.
