University students stage powerful performances at Chester events

Students recently performed at the Rowvember Heritage Festival, the Storyhouse Futures conference and the Purgatory Project exhibition at Chester Cathedral, marking an exciting start to the academic year.

Professional Dance, Performing Arts, Acting and Drama students were delighted to be invited to take part in the Rowvember Heritage Festival and bring the history of the rows to life through an array of dance styles, poems and monologues. The annual festival curated by Heritage Chester celebrates the history of the rows and offers a fresh perspective on these extraordinary buildings.

First year student, Gemma Rigby said: “I have loved working towards the Rowvember festival. I’ve really loved exploring site-specific work, it’s a lovely change to working in a theatre and I feel I’ve gained more valuable experience from it.”

The Storyhouse Futures conference saw second year Dance students perform their piece ‘Beyond Words’, choreographed by Dance Lecturer, Nicole Wellings.

The conference introduced cross-disciplinary ways of presenting ideas including talks, performances, films and activities, to look at people’s influence on the world and how everyone can make a positive impact by adopting a more sustainable way of living.

Through dance and spoken word, the ‘Beyond Words’ piece explored how new forms of connection can emerge as we shape a sustainable future. It aimed to highlight how, through movement, pathways for listening, response and shared presence are unlocked, celebrating openness and togetherness while offering a hopeful vision of moving forward side-by-side.

Second year student Katie Dean said: “We have loved performing at Storyhouse as it provided us with an opportunity to dance in a new environment and explore different circumstances in performance and choreography.”

Students were back supporting city events with their role in the Purgatory Project in The Cloisters at Chester Cathedral, which highlighted a modern vision of purgatory in a contemporary society through various media. Purgatory was interpreted dramatically by the Italian poet Dante in the 14th century, and explores the seven deadly sins of pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony and lust, and the attempt to overcome them all to reach Earthly Paradise.

The exhibition was jointly arranged by Emeritus Professor Maggie Jackson and Canon Anthony Lees-Smith, with invaluable support from the University’s academic staff, technical staff and a Graphic Design student within the School for the Creative Industries.

As part of this, Dance Lecturer Dina Robinson was invited to collaborate with Research Assistant, Neuza Morais and Senior Researcher, Emma Arya Manesh to curate a contemporary dance performance in response to their installation ‘The Peaces We Keep, Make, Transform’.

The collaboration included Dance and Performing Arts students, alumni and Emeritus Professor Evelyn Jamieson working together to translate concepts around peace and transform the Cloisters of the Cathedral into kinetic sculptures of moving bodies.

Second year student, Mali Fellows said: “The Purgatory Project was an interesting insight into the professional world.”

Lecturer, Dina reflected on the students' role in all three initiatives: “We are very proud of our students for their contribution to these events and the impact their performances have on the cultural life of the city. Thank you to the organisers for inviting us to be a part of such exciting projects and providing performance opportunities helping them develop their skills in a professional environment.”

Images - large pics within text, from top:

The students at:

• Rowvember
• Storyhouse Futures - by Anya Draycott
• the Purgatory Project.