Press Release: Sadler’s Wells and West Ham United Foundation team up for Home Turf

[Jan McNulty]

Sadler’s Wells and West Ham United Foundation team up for Home Turf 

 

Sadler’s Wells’ Creative Learning department is teaming up with West Ham United Foundation for a community dance production inspired by football, which will receive its world premiere on the main stage at Sadler’s Wells on Saturday 24 September 2016.

Home Turf is a compelling collaboration between West Ham United Foundation, Sadler’s Wells and a team of over 100 professional and non-professional dancers, including Foundation participants, Company of Elders and alumni of the National Youth Dance Company. The work will be uniquely reflective of the diverse cast, united through football and dance.

The production will be created by an international team of artists including choreographers Pascal Merighi (guest artist, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch), Neil Fleming Brown (Studio Wayne McGregor), Michela Meazza, (guest artist, New Adventures), Lee Griffiths (The Company) and composer Murray Gold (Doctor Who and balletLORENT’s Snow White).

Home Turf is an opportunity for Sadler’s Wells and West Ham United Foundation to work together before the Club’s imminent move to the new Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, while Sadler’s Wells will open an additional mid-scale theatre on the Stratford Waterfront site in 2021, as part of the Olympicopolis project.

Joe Lyons, West Ham United Foundation Chief Executive, said: “This is another fantastic opportunity for the Foundation to work alongside partners and use football as a way to engage people in activities that they may not usually get involved with.

“Our partnership with Sadler’s Wells will be one of the most creative collaborations we’ve been involved with at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and one we’re extremely excited about! To offer local people from the community such a rare opportunity is something we’re extremely proud of.”

Alistair Spalding, Sadler’s Wells’ Artistic Director and Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted to be working with West Ham United Foundation on this bold project blending football and dance. Through our community productions, we welcome non-professional dancers of different ages and backgrounds onto Sadler’s Wells’ main stage, where they work with professionals to create and perform in a high-quality show.

“Bringing members of our community into the work we present breathes life into the theatre, contributing to our ongoing exploration of what performance is and helping us develop new audiences for dance. West Ham United will be among our close neighbours once we open Sadler’s Wells’ new mid-scale theatre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in 2021, and I hope this will be the first in a series of exciting collaborations between us.”

Jane Hackett, Director of Creative Learning at Sadler’s Wells, said: “Our large scale community projects unite diverse groups to explore common themes, working together to make a high quality performance for our mainstage, which can prove to be a life changing experience. Football holds such a central position in popular culture, across all communities, that it provides a perfect vehicle for individual stories and shared memories to be expressed through dance.

“Both Sadler’s Wells Learning Department and West Ham United Foundation have long track records of excellent community work. We are delighted to be sharing our expertise and be working together on this life-affirming project.”

 

Home Turf is supported by Theatron a network of European performing arts organisations who aim to explore creative and innovative ways of engaging new audiences.

 

Notes to editors:

Listings information
Home Turf
Sadler’s Wells
24 September 2016
7.30pm
£12 / £6 Concessions*

Tickets on sale from 10am Thursday 7 April via www.sadlerswells.com / 020 7863 8000

 

About Sadler’s Wells
Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance house, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding, the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. 

 

Since 2005, it has helped to bring over 100 new dance works to the stage and its award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour internationally. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 Associate Artists, three Resident Companies, an Associate Company and two International Associate Companies. It also nurtures the next generation of talent through its New Wave Associates and Summer University programmes, its Wild Card initiative and hosting of the National Youth Dance Company.

 

Located in Islington, north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells. Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 10% of its revenue from Arts Council England.

 

About West Ham United Foundation

Ever since its inception in 1990, the West Ham United Foundation has sought to promote the Club's core values through its many ground-breaking outreach programmes. The Foundation continues to develop its projects and look at how football, and sport in general, can be a force for social good. Having provided some 1.5 million opportunities to date, they offer unique life-changing experiences – with clear benefits including health, personal development, educational attainment and social inclusion.