Dancing Divas

Our Heritage Lottery project Woman Made brought a fantastic group of women together at DWAC for an event entitled Dancing Divas. A truly inspiring afternoon contemplating our heritage i.e. the people and places that matter to us via sharing music,memory and words.

We considered how the combination of words, memories and musical choices were like maps that made personal landscapes better known and allowed us all to share something that was both personal and universal.

The heritage story of the Music Travellers was interwoven throughout the workshop so that we were able to consider how music, dancing, singing and the arts were and still are such an important way of bringing people together.

Dry Water Arts Centre is very much a continuation of the pioneering work begun by Helen Anderson and other musical travellers and their legacy is alive and well over 78 years later. With so much focus on the role of participatory/community arts we all agreed it is important to be aware of the particular role women play in the sharing and celebration of cultural history and the dedication of so many women to their communities. This continues to be an involving and exciting part of the project as we uncover the stories of these women and make a space and a place to celebrate them.

" I had no idea Kathleen Ferrier had toured around Northumberland or that 500 people attended a concert in Amble...it's amazing"

"Best Saturday  I have had in ages"

“ Isn’t it interesting that your aunty Helen was the one who really discovered and gave opportunities to Kathleen Ferrier right here in the North East. It’s was wonderful to hear about them turning up at village halls and miners institutes and trying to find pianos that worked !”

“Real participation is not always easy to achieve- it takes time and real effort to properly engage people in the process- it happens when people feel trust, feel valued and that their efforts are genuinely celebrated. Dry Water achieves this in buckets!”

”Thanks for a lovely afternoon. Enjoyed the bag making, the music and dancing and it was good to meet some lovely women. I was impressed with the centre - very calming”

The stories and play lists will become part of the growing Woman Made archive , you are welcome to contribute just get in touch with us via email or give us a call