Urban Explorers

Urban Explorers is Tom Dale Company’s flagship annual dance project integrating TDC professionals with youth dancers from across Nottinghamshire, working in partnership with Inspire County Youth Arts.

Expect evocative, free-flowing urban contemporary dance borne out of the intensity and creativity of the UK’s electronic dance music scene.

URBAN EXPLORERS’ annual spectacular performance offers young dancers from across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire the opportunity to work alongside professional dancers from the internationally renowned Tom Dale Company. Each year the company takes inspiration from TDC’s touring work to create an awe-inspiring performance for the city.

Urban Explorers particularly targets young people from areas of high deprivation and low arts engagement, giving young dancers the unique opportunity to make and perform work alongside professional dancers, supporting progression routes into creative careers or higher education.

We want to celebrate the young people’s dedication, teamwork and enthusiasm for the work. Here’s a highlight of the Urban Explorers legacy:

LIGHT NIGHT 2023

Celebrating light, choreography and electronic music SUB:VERSION at Nottingham Contemporary brought the audience directly into the performance space for a new kind of interactive viewing experience. A dynamic lighting design will enable the audience to move to designated areas and enjoy this unique dance and light event from an array of perspectives.

This event provided a company of youth dancers the unique opportunity to work with the dancers in rehearsal and perform alongside them for the unique taster performance for Nottingham audiences.

FEEL THE LOVE: LINCOLN

Urban Explorers on tour, we were delighted to bring our UBX model to Lincoln and work with 4 youth dance groups from all across rural Lincolnshire. This edition was in collaboration with the Lincolnshire One Venues and Hub Dance, Sleaford to deliver a professional dance and community project, performing at LPAC on 30th April 2022.

UBX:SRG

Celebrating light, choreography and electronic music SUB:VERSION at Nottingham Contemporary will bring the audience directly into the performance space for a new kind of interactive viewing experience.

A dynamic lighting design will enable the audience to move to designated areas and enjoy this unique dance and light event from an array of perspectives.

The boundaries between performer and audience will shift as the performance spaces and viewing spaces literally change shape, creating spaces within spaces.

Our funders include:

  • Thomas Farr Charity 
  • Sir John Eastwood Foundation
  • The Leche Trust
  • The Jessie Spencer Trust