Arts In The Yard Dance Garretts Green

Arts in the Yard

Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC have been privileged to work with Arts In The Yard on their Dance Garretts Green project. This was a project funded by Birmingham City Council as part of their Celebrating Communities funding. Find more about Arts In The Yard here.

Dance Garretts Green was a dance project that run across Garretts Green and was delivered at St Thomas Church, and Oasis Blakenhale Community hub, Garretts Green. This was project that was funded by Birmingham City Council through their Celebrating Communities fund, to celebrate the Commonwealth Games running in Birmingham.

Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC worked with Arts In The Yard to deliver intergenerational dance workshops across Garretts Green. All groups learnt the same routine which was Choreographed by Faye O’Connor and Faye Hadley from Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC. The dance was then performed to the accompaniment of the amazing Oya Samba Band, Birmingham. Find out more about Oya Samba Band here.

I just absolutely love to dance. These sessions at Oasis Blakenhale Hub have been brilliant.

Dance Garretts Green Participant

I really enjoyed dancing with my Nan. It has been really fun.

Dance Garretts Green Participant

The final performance saw a parade to Kents Moat Park of dancers, the Samba band and local residents and dance performance in the park. Local residents came out from their houses to find out what was going on and followed the spectacle back to Oasis Blakenhale Community Centre to enjoy a community event of more dancing, live music and food.

The celebration event had a real community feel with local residents enjoying the entertainment and food together. An opportunity to bring people together and find out what is going on across Garretts Green. It is amazing how the arts can really bring people together. Arts in the Yard also worked with local children to make the ribbon sticks that were used during our parade which definitely added some vibrancy.

We heard the drums and wandered what was going on. We came out and watching the dancing and followed the parade back to the hub. The welcome we recieved was lovely. It felt like a real community event.

Local Resident

Arts In The Yard and Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC also run other groups in the Garretts Green area. Arts in the Yard run a weekly crafts group at St Thomas Church, Garretts Green Lane. Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC run a dance class, Keep Dancing. Keep Dancing is suitable for people over 50 and whether you have danced before or you are a complete beginner Keep Dancing is the perfect class for you. You’ll learn dances from around the world with no need for a partner. Keep Dancing also runs weekly at St Thomas Church. Both classes are currently funded by Yardley Neighbourhood Network Scheme so are free for local residents to attend.

If you can’t make Xpress-Yourself Dance Keep Dancing Garretts Green class we also have a class running at St Giles Church, Sheldon. Find out more here.

Dance Garretts Green was a hugely enjoyable project that provided opportunity for local people to dance and perform but most importantly the project provided opportunity for the local residents to celebrate their local community together. The event was attended by local residents of all ages and local councillors.

Watch our final rehearsal here

A huge thank you to Arts in the Yard, Birmingham City Council , St Thomas Church, Oasis Blakenhale Hub most importantly the participants who volunteered to dance for the project.

Find our more about the work of Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC here