NEON DANCE LIMITED

My name is Adrienne Hart and I'm the Artistic Director of Neon Dance. 

I set up Neon just a few years out of studying dance full time at London Contemporary Dance School as a vehicle for collaborating with artists from different disciplines, to create work collectively that we couldn't create alone. Almost 20 years on and I've had the privilege to work with award winning artists and internationally renowned dancers, presenting work to audiences all round the world. 

Funding an ambitious dance company can be a real challenge as there's not much money in the arts! Neon recently became a Charity and I now work with a brilliant board of trustees who give up their spare time to oversee the day to day running of the company. We rely on Project Grant funding from Arts Council England and there's never any guarantees of getting an offer so it's a nerve wrecking process each time we apply! Whilst the journey isn't always easy, it's my passion for dance, the inspiring artists I get to collaborate with and you the fans that keep me moving forward. 

I have a new dance production to share with you all and need your help to make it happen...

"A future race of humans finds itself on the verge of extinction. Almost all that’s left in the world are lone and surreal monuments, beaming their message into the wilderness."

Based on the ground-breaking 1930 novel by Olaf Stapledon, Last and First Men (2020) concluded the beautiful career of the Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. I've been given permission to create a contemporary dance work set to the backdrop of Johann Jóhannsson’s 16mm black and white film, with narration from Tilda Swinton and original score composed by Jóhannsson and Yair Elazar Gotman, which will premiere at the Science Museum's IMAX theatre in London on the 4th May as part of their Science Fiction exhibition.

https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/neon-dance-last-and-first-men

So far, we have been awarded a 'Project Grant' from Arts Council England and received backing from Sadler's Wells, Pavilion Dance South West and Swindon Dance, who will provide studio and theatre space in kind during the creation process. My final challenge with your support is to fundraise a further £6000.

By supporting this project you will enable Neon Dance to run a Last and First Men book group at Swindon Library, which will feed into our creation process, 5 weeks creation time with 3 talented dance artists, support 3 emerging artists in Swindon and London to create their own response to the work and be mentored by Neon Dance, and commission the award winning artist Ana Rajcevic to create a bespoke futuristic astronaut helmet that will be worn on stage as part of the production! 

With your help Neon Dance can continue to thrive and grow as an independent dance company. Your donation, big or small will make a huge difference. You'll be able to follow the creation process via our social media channels and website, and I hope that a few of you can also make it along to the Science Museum in May!

Thank you for your support.