Bridport Young People's Fringe will hold their first event on Saturday, January 21, with an afternoon of film screenings that celebrate dance.

'Celebrating Dance on Film' will be held at Bridport Arts Centre, starting at 2.30pm with a screening of 'Pina', Wim Wenders' portrait of legendary choreographer Pina Bausch, accompanied by short films from Bridport Youth Dance as well as the mature dancers' company Grace & Growl.

At 7.30pm there's the chance to see the feature 'Dancer', which charts the career of Ukrainian ballet star Sergei Polunin, plus a second selection of shorts from Bridport Youth Dance and Grace & Growl.

Bridport Youth Dance and Grace & Growl have both been drawn to choreography and filmmaking outdoors in natural settings.

Anna Golding, artistic director of Grace and Growl, said: "It is thrilling to be sharing our 2022 film 'Echo' at this event in Bridport as this is our home ground and much of the filming was done in and around Bridport and nearby Charmouth beach and forest.

"There is nothing we love more than getting out into the wild spaces of West Dorset, to dance and set our imaginations free."

Nikki Northover, founder of Bridport Youth Dance, was also inspired by capturing performance in wild spaces.

She said: "By moving my creative work to the great outdoors and celebrating our stunning local landscape, through movement and dance, I was also to a degree touching back to my childhood roots, as my Dad was a man of the land, a farmer at Eype, so nature and the local countryside were always a part of my growing up.

"At this turbulent time in our world I feel that reconnecting to nature, community and collaboration are absolutely necessary for us all. Dance, like being in nature is good for our soul."

'Celebrating Dance on Film' has been co-ordinated by Chris Pike, Bridport Arts Centre trustee and chair of the Bridport Film Society, who said: "This is a very special year for celebrating creativity in Bridport; the Arts Centre and its Bridport Prize will be marking their 50th anniversary in May, and this year is also the 21st year of Nikki Northover's phenomenally successful Bridport Youth Dance (BYD).

"BYD's ambitious annual show is a focus for young dance talent that has delighted hundreds of proud local families and launched several careers in dance and choreography.

"Nikki's unique vision for working with young dancers has also expanded to a series of stunning site-specific outdoor performances that combine that talent with our area's natural beauty to create an unforgettable combination of dance and landscape.

"This year's BYD show is 'Ricochet' at The Electric Palace on March 10 and 11, but first our 'Celebrating Dance on Film' showcase will be a chance to see 'The Dance Weavers', a series of short films Nikki created with Elliot Millson who danced with BYD's boys' group for several years and is now an upcoming cinematographer."

Bringing young people's creativity to a wider audience

Youth creativity will receive another boost at the 2.30pm screening when the Mayor of Bridport, Cllr Ian Bark launches the Bridport Young People's Fringe. a project that will link young peoples' events to each of the town's main festivals throughout the year.

Cllr Bark said: "Bridport Young People's Fringe will give young people the chance to create, curate and perform across a wide range of media and bring their work to a real, wider audience."

The initiative was launched after an open meeting in September 2022 to explore how best to celebrate, provide opportunities, and give a voice to the young people of Bridport.

A second meeting is soon to be scheduled to bring together the young people themselves, along with representation from organisations within Bridport whose activities involve interaction with the children and young people of the town. 

Cllr Bark added: "The ultimate aim is to make Bridport a Young Person friendly town and to increase the fitness level and holistic well-being amongst young people and their families.

"To achieve this, we need to listen to what the young people themselves actually want for the town, and what facilities and opportunities they would welcome. After all, the future belongs to them."

Tickets for 'Celebrating Dance on Film' are available at Bridport Tourist Information Centre or at www.bridport-arts.com, pricing is £6 adult, £5 concessions, £4 for students/Bridport Film Society members. There are also a limited number of £3 tickets for Bridport Youth Dance students available in person from the Tourist Information Centre.