FUNK 2023, Arts and Culture, Dance. St Anne's Diocesan College

FUNK continues to generate tremendous excitement and has been a firm favourite on the annual production calendar now for 24 years! This year the production is coming home to its origin at St Anne's Diocesan College.

FUNK evolved as an idea to create a dance programme for schools with very specific aims. Firstly to unite schools in working towards a common goal; secondly to give Drama students and their teachers the opportunity to create and rehearse pieces of dance theatre for public performance; thirdly, to enable young people to see that movement, dance and dance theatre is accessible to them and not only in the hands of professional adult dance companies; and finally, and perhaps most importantly of all, to generate meaning and artistic integrity through dance choreography whilst challenging young people to work outside of their comfort zones.

The task for each school remains constant: to create a 7 minute piece of dance choreography integrating any type of musical or textual accompaniment. The programme accommodates a range of choreographic and performance possibilities and provides the perfect opportunity for schools to experiment with new forms.

The highlight of the production is always the mass group Finale which incorporates all the schools together on the stage.