Gdance is a production and training company specialising in inclusive practice based in Gloucester. Their latest production ‘Stuck In the mud’ is a promenade performance combining community and professional dancers.

I originally attended the production at BlackFriars in Gloucester. I am interested in promenade performance and wanted to find out how this was achieved in a dance production. Blackfriars was a great setting as it really added to the atmosphere and had lovely outside space as well as inside. I did learn that using exterior spaces in Autumn can cause difficulties though.

The performance was fantastic and I really love the inclusive aspect of the work. I decided I wanted to learn a lot more about inclusive work and so volunteered on the next production of ‘Stuck in the mud’ at Newport market. The performances took place, at times, when the market was open so it was fantastic to see the interaction between the general public and the dancers. The feedback showed that it really opened people’s minds to disabled performers, which I think is a great aim of the production.

Whilst volunteering I got to know the team at Gdance and found them all very inspiring. I was particularly inspired by the producer Helen Crocker who has a background in Circus, being a founder of ‘Circomedia’ circus school in Bristol. I really enjoyed seeing how she worked and was eager to learn as much as I could from her.

This volunteering experience made me even more interested in the work of GDance and inclusive work so I asked if there were any further opportunities to be involved. They offered me the chance to undertake a producing fellowship with them where I shall have the opportunity to learn more about their work and the work of a producer. I am hugely excited to get started and feel this experience could have a major impact on my future career.