In November of 2023, we hosted a collaborative, week-long, aerial skills residency in partnership with Theatre Royal Plymouth.
Artists and practitioners from Diverse City, Extraordinary Bodies, Cirque Bijou and Plymouth-based Far Flung Dance Theatre company provided the inclusive expertise to get participants up in the air. The whole experience was utterly magical!
Participants came from all over the UK for a taste of life in the air. Some from Theatre Royal Plymouth’s own inclusive groups Funky Llama and Our Space, as well as members of our own Unexpected Leaders programme.
The occasion had another layer of celebration to it, as it also gave us an opportunity to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of our friendship and partnership with Theatre Royal Plymouth. TRP have been constant supporters of our work and steadfast believers in inclusion and equity in the theatre. Thank you to the whole team there – here’s to the next decade!
Participants who attended the workshop said:
I’m still processing all the beautifulness of my residency at TR2 with @diverse_city @extraordinary_bodies & @cirquebijou 🥰. [There is] so much to say but the biggest takeaway was how truly wonderful, funny, supportive, HUGELY talented & [expletive] lush our disabled community is! [I am] incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to learn, create, collaborate, dance, sing and laugh with these gorgeous beans 🤗
– Laura Cantliff, dancer, disability activist and participant in our skills residency.
Had an amazing week last week in Plymouth with @diverse_city @extraordinary_bodies @cirquebijou and the other companies. I honestly never thought I’d be able to hang in air in my chair, especially my electric chair. And thank you to everyone there for making my 21st birthday so special and one I’m going to remember for a long time!
– Sam Jamil, actor, writer, theatre-maker and participant in our skills residency.
The occasion was so successful that we feel sure there will be an appetite to do another one soon. We’ll be reaching out to other companies and venues throughout 2024 to see if we could work together to create creative opportunities for diverse artists in their area. Stay tuned for information about how to book a residency in your venue.
Check out our film all about the Plymouth Residency below.
