EVOLVE workshops across the UK

Two women talking to each other at a DCD EVOLVE workshop

'All dancers need to come to EVOLVE, it doesn't matter what stage you're at in your career, it's important to start thinking about who else you are, outside of dance'

 

Rachael Nanyonjo,
Independent dance artist

RECONNECT with yourself

REFRAME your mind-set for opportunity

be supported and INSPIRED by your peers 

EVOLVE is a free workshop exploring your life-long career with your whole self in mind.

  • Work with an accredited Coach on reflection tools and tasks to explore your future
  • Hear from a guest speaker’s stories on their career insights and reflections
  • Learn from others perspectives and be empowered by your shared connection as dancers

EVOLVE workshops are open to all dancers from final year students to retired dancers. No matter what stage of your career, you are welcome at EVOLVE.

EVOLVE can support you to feel prepared for your long term future, even if career transition feels far away.

Dancers and graduating students from ALL genres are welcome, including (but not limited to): Musical Theatre, Commercial, Hip Hop, Jazz, Dance of the African Diaspora, Tap, Contemporary, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, South Asian Dance forms, Folk Dance, Ballet and everything in between.

Details of our 50th Anniversary ‘EVOLVE-on-tour’ are below…

a gold and purple background with the words evolve birmingham + inspiration evening along with the DCD 50 years gold logo

EVOLVE Birmingham

In partnership with SAMPAD

Dancers’ Career Development’s next career coaching workshop is coming to Birmingham.

You can join us in person or live online (via Zoom).

Following the workshop, everyone is invited to come together for a social evening of pop-up performances, film, panels, food and fizz. You are welcome to come to the workshop, or the evening event, or both!

The EVOLVE coaching workshop is an opportunity for dancers from all genres to connect with peers, reframe your mindset, and get inspired for your future. Plus, you’ll hear from Guest Speaker Sima Gonsai. 

Date:
Monday 2nd Oct | 14:00 – 21: 30 pm (workshop ends at 17:00 pm)

Venue (click link below for Google Maps directions):
Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH

Guest speaker: Sima Gonsai

Black & white photo of a young female of South Asian heritage, wearing casual clothing and kneeling down on a studio floor, holding a professional camera in front of a floor-standing photographers light.

Growing up in a working-class Northern town, Sima’s upbringing was split between two cultures; her traditional Indian background with her western surroundings.

Sima’s film background began in 1998 with a focus on exploring the visual language of dance. Her working process varies with each project; from using narrative-led storytelling and the visceral language of dance and film to connect with her subjects or themes, to collaboration with people with disabilities and communities from diverse backgrounds, visual artists, trained dancers or a combination of many of these processes at once.

Sima has shown work in Craft Council Gallery, Blackburn Museum & Art Gallery, MAC Birmingham, Flatpack Film Festival, New Art Gallery Walsall, Grand Union and The LUX, London, collaborating with organisations such as Sense Arts, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Fierce Festival and National Lottery. Award winning Moving Portraits was commissioned as part of the Commonwealth Games Cultural Programme 2022.

She has directed and produced films commissioned by 2012 Olympics, Arts Council England, Creative England, British Textile Biennial, The Space, SkyArts and BBC Arts. As a programmer, Sima currently works with Flatpack Film Festival, a Midlands-based BAFTA qualifying film festival.

Image above: Sima Gonsai. Photography: Anastasia Jobson

About EVOLVE Birmingham’s Facilitator: Isabel Mortimer (she/her)

a woman with long blonde hair smiling for the camera

Isabel has endless energy for people realising their unique potential, and pursuing the powerful impact they create in the world, when they unleash that focus, flow and drive.

Isabel (right) is a Personal and Executive coach CPCC, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, and an Organisational Relationship and Systems Coach (both endorsed by the International Coaching Federation, ICF). Isabel specialises in Leadership development, cultural change, and enabling positive team dynamics. Isabel had a career as a dancer before becoming a coach and has a shared experience of career transitions from dance.

You are warmly invited to our Inspiration Evening taking place the same evening as EVOLVE Birmingham.

The Mildlands Arts Centre building photographed at dusk with a sign that says inspiration evening fizz food films performance

This is a relaxed social event bringing together Birmingham’s dance community and everyone is welcome. You can expect a dance performance from Bollywood Dreams Dance, poetry from Ayan Aden, discussion, film, food and fizz. If you’re coming alone, a warm welcome from the DCD team awaits you.

We hope you can join us!

Date:
Monday 2nd Oct | 18:30 – 21: 30 pm

Venue (same as EVOLVE Birmingham):
Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH

You can let us know you are attending on your EVOLVE booking form OR you can book for the evening only here:

Check out some of our incredible line up below!…

A group of female Bollywood dancers wearing traditional costume, in front of a dark background with their arms outstretched and jumping energetically.

Image above: © Bollywood Dreams Dance

A young female of dual Somali / English identity, wearing a head scarf and she has the Somali flag draped around her shoulders. She is standing in front of a modern city background with a bright blue sky. She is smiling and facing the camera.

Image above: © Ayan Aden

Image above left: Balbir Singh. Photography:Malcolm Johnson
Image above centre: Shreya Vadnerkar. Photography: Daniel Phung
Image above right: Aditi Mangaldas. Photography: Dinesh Khanna

Accessibility information

We want you to feel safe and supported to join us as we return to in-person workshops. Please let us know if there’s anything at all that you need to support you at our event.

DCD wishes to remove barriers to attend and are providing bursaries for travel, childcare and accessibility needs or adjustments. Please let us know in your booking form as much detail as possible. If you are requesting costs please detail the amount. We will be in touch at least a week before the event. (Please keep an eye on your junk mail.)

The venue is Wheelchair accessible with a lift that has access to every floor. We will be in the English Studio on the Second Floor.

There are accessible toilets on the first floor.

Any questions please contact: dancers@thedcd.org.uk 

 

DCD will be bringing EVOLVE workshops to a city near you throughout 2023-2025.

We will be announcing future events in Swindon, Leeds and London soon.

The best way to be notified of any future events is to sign up to our newsletter via the link in the footer below.

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