Part of the Darke Visions Festival, celebrating the life & works of Cornwall’s finest playwright, Nick Darke, the DARKE NIGHTS youth dance showcase on Sunday January 24th 2010 is presented by The Works (Dance & Theatre Cornwall) in partnership with KEAP and the Hall for Cornwall and is supported by RELAYS, the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site – Cultural Programme, Arts Council England, Cornwall Council and The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow.

The event brings together twenty of the county’s leading youth dance groups in an evening rich in celebration, inspiration, creativity and talent.

Callington Dance Company and Helston Community College have each created new dance works inspired by Nick and Jane Darke’s film ‘The Wrecking Season’ – a study of flotsam and jetsam; XS NRG from Budehaven Community School investigate relationships between the sea, the strandline and journeys in ‘Beachcombers’; and Poltair School have been inspired by the play ‘The Dead Monkey’ as well as Nick and Jane’s moving film ‘The Art of Catching Lobsters’, which rawly charts Nick’s last illness, exploring through dance the subjects of grief, loss and hope.

Cornwall Youth Dance Company will perform three pieces including a new work inspired by Nick’s work, alongside Band of Lads with Ben Dunks; the Jason Thomas Dance Company presents a moving study of dark and light; and Echo Dance Theatre from Cornwall College St Austell will perform a piece exploring Nick’s life, family, his passion for Cornish culture and the tides.

Exhibitions and projections of art works from a countywide project called ‘Journeys’ will also grace the building during the show: Art students from schools across Cornwall have each taken individual creative journeys starting from the same rich source – the film ‘The Wrecking Season’ – and explored the film’s core ideas through drawing, painting, sculpture, textiles and animation. Looe, Tretherras, Wadebridge, St Joseph’s Launceston, Penrice, St Austell College, Poltair, Richard Lander, Camborne, Redruth, Bodmin, Helston, Falmouth and Saltash schools all have work on show.

This showcase is also the sister event to the DARKE VISIONS SHOWCASE of theatre and music taking place on Monday January 25th. For more information on this and the Darke Visions Festival in general please see www.nickdarke.net/darkvisions and also follow the What's On events links on this site.

Image credit: Peter Dukes, Class Photography www.class-photography.co.uk