Double Launch For Iconic Dance Company

Phoenix Dance Theatre has unveiled two special commemorative projects celebrating the company.

40 Years of Phoenix: A Photographic Journey and the Phoenix Virtual Gallery are the result of an intensive period of archival research and collation commenced during the company’s 40th anniversary year which started in late 2021.

The aim was to create two very different ways of presenting a portion of Phoenix’s vast archive enabling it to be shared with Phoenix and dance fans around the world.

The company’s founder and first artistic director, David Hamilton MBE, was among those speaking at an event at the company’s Leeds headquarters where he was joined by Delia Barker, Chair of the Phoenix Board of Trustees, and former Artistic Director, Dane Hurst, whose vision it was to create these lasting resources for the company.

Phoenix Dance Theatre is the longest running contemporary dance company based outside London and celebrated its milestone 40th anniversary year from November 2021.

As Dane Hurst explained to a VIP audience of invted guests: “My vision as the incoming artistic director in Phoenix’s 40th anniversary year was to commission a series of works to honour and celebrate the incredible work of all the artists and leaders who have contributed to the company’s illustrious history.

"The aim was to make the rich and colourful archive of photographs and works available to the public in a more accessible and creatively informative way.”

His vision developed into the creation of a commemorative book of photographs and the commissioning of a virtual gallery. Both are tangible artistic and historical records which capture the presence and exuberance of company members and guest artists who have created and sustained the legacy of Phoenix.

Dane Hurst continued: “What the company has achieved in 40 years is remarkable and deserves to be seen by the wider public, nationally and internationally. As an expression of this phenomenal legacy, I hope that this commemorative book and virtual gallery will be enjoyed as a resource to inform and inspire across generations.”

In 40 Years of Phoenix: A Photographic Journey, a 136-page hardback coffee table book, the company is celebrated in a photographic collection of more than 125 images spanning four decades, charting the company’s artistry and innovation from humble beginnings to recognition as one of the UK’s leading contemporary dance companies.

Event guests were also treated to a presentation of a state-of-the-art virtual gallery by Judi Alston, CEO/Creative Director, and Andy Campbell, Digital Director, of the award-winning One to One Development Trust who designed and created the gallery. Guests then had the opportunity to explore it for themselves via touchscreens and smart phones.

The Phoenix Virtual Gallery is an imaginative and immersive online space to explore the company’s rich history, made possible by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Containing more than 250 artefacts, the virtual gallery can be accessed from Phoenix Dance Theatre’s website via computers, tablet devices or phones.

40 Years of Phoenix: A Photographic Journey, priced £35, is available to buy now from phoenixdancetheatre.co.uk/book and the Phoenix Virtual Gallery can be viewed at phoenixdancetheatre.co.uk/virtual-gallery