£1m cash injection funds Commonwealth Games dance initiative

A £1 million cash injection has been awarded to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival organisers, in a bid to deliver a mass dance initiative that will take centre stage at the opening and closing ceremonies of the sporting spectacular.

London Olympics legacy charity, Spirit of 2012 has provided the funding boost, which will enable 300 young people from across the West Midlands to co-create a series of major dance performances as part of the Games.

The project - entitled Critical Mass - will form a new dance company of disabled and non-disabled young people to show how genuine inclusion can be achieved in mega events such as the Commonwealth Games.

At least one third of the 300 participants will be disabled people, and 40 per cent will come from an Asian, black or minority ethnic background, reflecting the diversity of Birmingham and the West Midlands ' young population.

Participants will have the opportunity to take part in approximately 400 dance and movement workshops and creative sessions across 14 months.

Critical Mass will perform at the Birmingham 2022 Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the opening show of the Birmingham 2022 Cultural Festival in March 2022, the Birmingham International Dance Festival in June 2022, Welcome Ceremonies for athletes arriving for the Games in July 2022, and at Live Sites around the city during the Games.

The project is being organised by Birmingham 2022, DanceXchange, Arts Connect and the Dance Development Leaders Group (DDLG), a dedicated network of more than 70 dance organisations across the West Midlands who are passionate about developing dance participation.

The latest £1 million funding boost comes after £6 million was awarded to Birmingham 2022 by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund in January 2021.

Critical Mass aims to become a blueprint for future mass performance opportunities.

Martin Green, chief creative officer for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, said:

“This investment will put the region 's young people at the heart of the Birmingham 2022 Cultural Festival and cement the West Midlands ' already stellar reputation for world class dance performance.

“This project is about bringing diverse communities together and making dance as inclusive as possible by reaching people who may not have considered dance before. The six major performances at the peak of this process during 2022 will create a series of awe-inspiring moments to remember, showing off the amazing diversity of the West Midlands when the eyes of the world will be on us. ”

Pictured: Hundreds of ambitious, young dancers will take part in performances as part of the Games