Press Release: Sadler’s Wells’ Barclays Dance Pass Reaches 20,000 Members

[Jan McNulty]

Press Release: Thursday 3 August 2023       Sadler’s Wells’ Barclays Dance Pass Reaches 20,000 Members     Sadler’s Wells' Barclays Dance Pass now has 20,000 members, with 1,000 young people enjoying £10 tickets for Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet this month through the scheme. Launched in January 2020, Barclays Dance Pass is Sadler’s Wells’ ticket scheme offering £10 tickets to 16 to 30-year-olds as part of a major partnership with Barclays. Barclays Dance Pass makes available 10,000 tickets per year at £10 each to those registered with the scheme. No booking fee applies, and registered Barclays Dance Pass holders can purchase two tickets per production.  Tickets are available for all productions across the theatre’s venues, which soon will include Sadler’s Wells East – Sadler’s Wells’ fourth venue due to open in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park next year. Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet, which opened at Sadler’s Wells on Tuesday 1 August for a run to Saturday 2 September, offered 1,000 tickets to Barclays Dance Pass holders. The 2023 production ofRomeo and Juliet marks the first co-production between New Adventures and Sadler’s Wells. A relationship that dates back nearly 30 years; New Adventures has been performing at Sadler’s Wells since 1993. In 2005 Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells, Alistair Spalding, appointed Matthew Bourne as one of the organisation’s first Associate Artists and in 2006 New Adventures became a Resident Company.    Registration to Barclays Dance Pass is free and can be completed via the Sadler’s Wells website: https://www.sadlerswells.com/barclays-dance-pass/    The partnership with Barclays supports Sadler’s Wells’ ongoing mission to make and share dance that inspires us all, with an emphasis on young people.     Notes to Editors:    About Sadler’s Wells   Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance organisation. We strive to make and share dance that inspires us all. Our acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap.  We commission, produce and present more dance than any other organisation in the world. Since 2005, we have helped to bring close to 200 new dance works to the stage, embracing both the popular and the unknown.    Each year, over half a million people visit our three London theatres - Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Lilian Baylis Studio and Peacock Theatre. Millions more attend our touring productions nationally and internationally or explore our digital platforms, including Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage. In 2024 we’re opening a fourth London venue in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Sadler’s Wells East will house a 550-seat mid-scale theatre, as well as facilities for the Choreographic School and Hip Hop Theatre Academy.     Supporting artists is at the heart of our work. We have associate artists and companies, which nurture some of the most exciting talent working in dance today. We host the National Youth Dance Company, which draws together some of the brightest young dancers from across the country. Sadler’s Wells Breakin' Convention runs professional development programmes to champion and develop the world’s best hip hop artists, as well as producing, programming and touring groundbreaking hip hop performances.     Around 30,000 people take part in our learning and engagement programmes every year. We support schools local to our theatres in Islington and Stratford, designing experiences for children and young people to watch, explore and critically engage with the arts. We also run Company of Elders, a resident performance company of dancers aged over 60 who rehearse with renowned artists to make new work for public performances locally, nationally and internationally.    Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.     www.sadlerswells.com     Stay up to date with everything Sadler’s Wells on social media    Facebook: @SadlersWells    Twitter: @Sadlers_Wells    Instagram: @sadlers_wells    YouTube: Sadler’s Wells Theatre    About Barclays   Barclays is a British universal bank. We are diversified by business, by different types of customers and clients, and by geography. Our businesses include consumer banking and payments operations around the world, as well as a top-tier, full service, global corporate and investment bank, all of which are supported by our service company which provides technology, operations and functional services across the Group. For further information about Barclays, please visit our website www.barclays.com   About New Adventures New Adventures is an iconic, ground-breaking British dance-theatre company, famous for telling stories with a unique theatrical twist. Since 1987 New Adventures has changed the popularity of dance in Britain, creating works that have altered the public perception of what is possible when it comes to telling stories without words.     New Adventures has received numerous international awards and an incredible 6 Olivier Awards and 12 Nominations. New Adventures has created 13 full-length productions and a triple-bill of short works. The company tours nationally and internationally, our award-winning repertoire inspiring and thrilling millions of people worldwide.       New Adventures is a charity, and its principal funder is Arts Council England. We are passionate about diversifying the dance landscape and investing in the future of dance through delivering inclusive projects for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds alongside development opportunities for emerging artists.    Following several unprecedented years for the world and our industry, New Adventures made an extraordinary comeback last season.  We produced 3 shows, including the world-premiere of The Midnight Bell, a 20-year anniversary Nutcracker! UK tour and 14 full-scale performances of The Car Man reimagined for the gladiatorial arena of the Royal Albert Hall.  In total, we played to 220,000 people, across 250 performances, with only 6 shows lost to Covid precautions. We performed in 27 venues throughout the UK, supporting 84 dancers and 138 creatives, musicians, and technical crew.  Our Take Part programmes delivered a wealth of transformative workshops, intensives, and masterclasses to over 3600 participants, delighting and inspiring them as part of New Adventures’ commitment to access for all.

[Blossom]

I remember Matthew Bourne mentioning in an interview that his mum took him to see lots of theatre growing up, cheap seats but lots of them and this is what gave him his passion for live theatre/dance. The partnership  is likely close to his heart and an excellent initiative to support.