The Tyne and Wear Metro is to welcome more live dance performances on to the network this week as part of operator Nexus’ biggest ever community arts programme.
Society of Strays is presenting their new outdoor work, Cycle, and have recruited a community cast to participate.
It is the second live dance event on Metro in as many months as part of the Metro Takeover.
The Metro Takeover programme will see major regional arts organisations including Sunderland Culture, Dance City and Cultural Spring run community projects and commissions to be showcased at stations across the busy urban transit system.
Cycle will be performed at two Metro stations:
- Friday 3 September at Whitley Bay Metro station, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm.
- Saturday 4 September at Gateshead Interchange Metro concourse, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm
Customer Services Director at Nexus, Huw Lewis, said: “This event is a wonderful chance for communities to join a performing arts project on the Metro network.
“The first dance event was fantastic, and it really captured the imagination. We expect this one to be just as good, and it will be a great chance for our customers to see such a performance up close.
“These dance performances will be held at two different Metro stations – Whitley Bay and Gateshead
“Metro is being turned into a platform for community arts and live performances by creative people from across North East England over the coming year as part of the Metro Takeover, our biggest ever community arts programme.
“Creative arts and the barriers it breaks down are a great way to help people reconnect with Metro in their everyday lives now that we have emerged from lockdown.”
Cycle looks at the multitude of cycles we play out in our lives on a macro and micro scale. From the monotony of our daily routines and the journeys we take, to falling in love and falling apart. It looks at our need for community and the challenges that separate us. It is set to be a truly captivating performance that taps into a range of emotions.
In a twisty, punchy, dark comical tone, the work will sweep across Metro stations around Tyne and Wear this summer involving professional cast, voluntary cast and live Soprano, Cycle aims to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Nexus and The Metro in style.
If you enjoyed Dance City’s production REACH, be sure to watch Cycle, which will also take advantage of unique performance locations.
Between August and spring 2022 Metro will be brought to life in new ways through dance, song, music and visual arts projects involving people right across the region and funded by Arts Council England.
Photo credit: Nexus
