The two year project, funded by Arts Council England, will culminate in a festival hosted by the University in June 2021. Despite performing restrictions, national lockdowns and obstructive tier systems, rehearsals and classes have managed to continue in a safe manner.

Part of the Dance Beds project’s success has come from the sharing of knowledge, ideas and tips between members of the local dance community. The group recently held a virtual event named ‘Dance in a Pandemic’, which invited performers, teachers and arts organisations to share their experiences of responding to and managing the ongoing challenges and restrictions.

Sadie Hunt, Course Coordinator for BA (Hons) Dance and Professional Practice commented:

The online event Dance in the Pandemic was a perfect example of the collaborative and open dance community we have here in Bedford. We discussed working in 'Covid safe' studio spaces, spatially restricted technical training, the challenge of dancing in masks, safe and effective online delivery and the necessity of upskilling in digital technologies.

We also heard how lockdown had enabled opportunities for reflection, for the rediscovery of practice, re-evaluations of ethos and approaches to our art form and reconsidering how we teach, how we support and how we make dance.

Successful solutions have been found in virtual sessions, safe working bubbles and the decision to move upcoming events online, such as the U.Dance Regional which will be taking place in March 2021.

This unstoppable community spirit and determination to dance has been showcased by University students from the School of Media and Performance who have been screening live outdoor performances from carparks on social media, and has led to the creation of a new dance work, entitled Kattam Katti, by Milton Keynes based Pagrav Dance company, which has seen the full cast rehearsing together as a bubble. Pell Ensemble, led by Rebecca Evans who guest lectures at the Bedford campus, has also been working with undergraduate dance students to plan fun, dance-based workshops for local schools combining movement and computer coding.

Had a great first couple of days with @uniofbeds dance students facilitating this terms hybrid performance making; going on a journey with digital and dance ⌨️💻📽🕺🏼#digitaldance

— Pell Ensemble (@PellEnsemble) November 11, 2020

Dr Jane Carr, Head of the School of Media and Performance, worked for many years at Morley College in Southeast London, developing opportunities for adults and young people to participate in dance. Playing a major role in orchestrating the safe continuation of the Dance Beds project, she said:

I am so impressed by the way our students, lecturers and the artists we are working with are responding to the challenges of Covid-19.

The ways in which people have responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic for all the performing arts is a testament to the combination of resilience and creativity of those working in this field and is an inspiration to our students.

Rebecca Evans, Choreographer and Artistic Director at Pell Ensemble, noted how thankful she was for dance networks and partnerships in the Bedfordshire area. She said:

I am grateful that there have been cultural networks to support me during this time and that there has been a value seen in continuing to be creative despite the pandemic. There have also been opportunities for funding and for launching new partnerships that are open an encourage experimentation.

The methods we have used to continue operating throughout the various restrictions have included remote controlled wearable technology and handheld projectors. Above all, creativity and hard work have seen us through.

In terms of working with the University, the experience of making a piece of work with the first years in a 'Covid Studio' was a good learning experience – not only in the measures to keep people safe but also the thought that needs to be put into choreography in order to maintain a two metre distance between performers. This may need to be taken forwards into 2021 as we continue with the Dance Beds project.

Further details about the Dance Beds project can be found online or by emailing jane.carr@beds.ac.uk.

For information about studying with the School of Media and Performance at the University of Bedfordshire, visit: www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/departments/media-and-performance/