Beyond the Plaques: in partnership with National Youth Ballet

Creating new and exciting dance inspired by English Heritage sites and stories.

Shout Out Loud and National Youth Ballet have been collaborating since 2023.  The first project we teamed up on saw four Young Producers, Hetty, Molly, Sara and Imogen, connect with Joeley, Amy, Anna and Catherine, four young dancers and choreographers from NYB’s Beyond BalletⓇ programme and network.  Beyond Ballet supports emerging, early career artists from all areas of the theatre industry.  The Young Producers identified historical stories celebrated through the Blue Plaque scheme, which provided a starting point for the group. The result, Beyond The Plaques, is a dance film inspired by the lives of four female pioneers; sculptor Eleanor Coade, author Frances Burney, poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and astronomer Annie Maunder. The group introduce the film here:

 

“These women’s overlooked achievements provoke a contemporary response… weaving themes of cultural ephemerality, societal expectations of women, and exploration amidst isolation. The film celebrates endeavour and creativity, highlighting the enduring need to amplify the voices of women in history, as we venture Beyond their Plaques.”

Watch Beyond the Plaques here

Recently, Shoud Out Loud and NYB reconnected as part of English Heritage’s Creative Programme project, Wicked Game, which explored the relationship between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley through artist Lindsey Mendick’s work.

Having heard about the story of Elizabeth I’s 19 day visit to Kenilworth, NYB’s All In! Company decided to create a short dance film loosely inspired by themes of nature, sustainability and Cinderella.

The NYB All In! Company includes disabled and non-disabled dancers from Future Shift, That! Dance and National Youth Ballet, all based in the West Midlands region.

NYB All In! explores how ballet can be taught and choreographed in a more inclusive way allowing more young dancers to access this beautiful art form.

The film is choreographed by Beyond BalletⓇ choreographers Grace Thompson and Anna Smith, costumed by Beyond BalletⓇ costume supervisor Mattia Mollica, and supported by a team of NYB artists. The filmmaker is Romy Whai.

You can find out more about NYB All In! Here: https://nationalyouthballet.org/take-part/appliedballet/