[Image Description: Siobhan, a white woman, stands looking pensively outward. Ship masts and rigging criss-cross the background behind her. She wears a dark grey boiler suit, belted at the waist and with short rolled sleeves. Her brown hair tied in a bun with a grey headband.]
The Seafarers celebrates our relationship with the sea and the journeys we make across it. Part gig, part spectacle, the 50-strong cast travel to and from distant lands with a seafront as the backdrop.
The Seafarers is a large-scale outdoor dance production, involving Stopgap dancers and members of the local community, to bring to life the vivid music of acclaimed contemporary-folk band Moulettes. It was first staged in Portsmouth as a part of the Festivities in 2015 and then in Great Yarmouth in 2018 as a part of Norfolk & Norwich Festival.
Reviews
Your reactions
Huge congrats to all involved in #Seafarers w @Stopgapdance today. A brilliant, engaging, slick and energised performance by all. So many positive outcomes for cyp and artists too. Great project great show. pic.twitter.com/T59PONp16T
— Lucy Bayliss (@lucy_bayliss) May 26, 2018
Well done and thanks @Stopgapdance. https://t.co/aMBfGDOdeF
— Daniel Brine (@Daniel_Brine) May 28, 2018
Seafarers was totally awesome - an inspiring performance @PortsFest @ace_national @Stopgapdance @PHDockyard pic.twitter.com/oy18149zt6
— Portsmouth Music Hub (@portsmouthmusic) June 28, 2015
Beautiful show, thanks to @IBTCPortsmouth @Moulettes1 @PortsFest @Stopgapdance @PHDockyard Seafaring old & new pic.twitter.com/HfEfCMrmhc
— William Sutton (@WilliamGeorgeQ) June 28, 2015
Can't believe that was the last time performing with @Stopgapdance 😭😭 gonna miss it so much. ❤️💃🏼
— * Corinne * (@Corinne_Hill) June 28, 2015
https://twitter.com/smythatsplash/status/615432358305628160@Stopgapdance and I am absolutely gutted it's come to an end #SgTheSeafarers @kat_nuts What an experience. Thank you pic.twitter.com/cqNVifGqT6
— CV Performing Arts (@CVDanceUL) June 28, 2015
https://twitter.com/RuthFHollis/status/1000437676812718080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1000437676812718080%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stopgapdance.com%2Fnews%2Fyour-reaction-the-seafarers-2018Wow! Last performance today, thank you so much to @Stopgapdance, really enjoyed every moment, good people, good times and amazing dance 👏👌
— Sam.u.el™ (@ozouf_sam) June 28, 2015
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Credits
Lucy Bennett
Artistic Director & Choreographer
Siobhan Hayes
Assistant Choreographer
Kat Ball, Helen Bendell, Amy Butler, Christian Brinklow, Amelia Clark, Laura Dajao, Siobhan Hayes, Laura Jones, Chris Pavia, Nadenh Poan, Hannah Sampson, David Willdridge and Tomos Young
Stopgap Dancers
Abstract Dance Academy and Inclusive Performing Arts Group at Highbury College
Community Dancers (Portsmouth)
Caister Academy; Dancing Dimensions; The Garage D4Dance Group; John Grant School and Parkside School
Community Groups (Great Yarmouth)
Caroline Acres, Katy Dunne, Xenoula Eleftheriades, Alysha Hudson, Tommy Norris, Abby Page and Anna Rowe
Community Dance Teachers (Great Yarmouth)
Anna Jones (Curious Space)
Production Design
Moulettes
Original Music
Sho Shibata
Executive Producer
Dougie Evans, Callum Graham and Charlotte Mackie
Producers
Supported by
Originally commissioned by Portsmouth Festivities in 2015 with support from Arts Council England and Surrey Arts
Reproduced in 2018 with funding from Spirit of 2012 and Norfolk & Norwich Festival
Making an impact
The impact this project had on communities of Great Yarmouth were independently evaluated.
Self-assessed wellbeing score of our participants improved from 84% to 90% and the perception change of disability in participants and audiences saw 16% improvement from 51% to 67%. In addition to this, the local practitioners, who we trained and supported to work inclusively with the groups, gained new teaching and creative skills.