This week is awards week!

5 November 2019

We’ve been nominated for not one, not two, but three awards!

At this year’s One Dance UK Awards, we’re up for the Greater Manchester Award, which recognises an organisation or individual who has made a significant impact to dance in Greater Manchester.

At the Manchester Culture Awards, we’ve made the shortlist in two categories – the Promotion of Culture and Education Award and the Promotion of Health and Wellbeing.

On what promises to be a very glitzy and star-studded evening, the winners will be announced on Saturday at individual award ceremonies, which will see the Chameleon team split into two groups to attend.

Our nomination for the One Dance UK Greater Manchester Award follows on from our 12-year history in Greater Manchester performing, creating and developing dance.

Co-Artistic Director, Kevin Edward Turner said: “I feel hugely proud to be nominated for this award. It’s wonderful to be given recognition for all the wonderful work the Chameleon team does. When Anthony and I set-up the Company in Manchester 12 years ago, it felt like dance was at a low ebb. Over the years the dance ecology has developed in a myriad of ways and I’m proud that we’ve contributed to this growth.”

Co-Artistic Director, Anthony Missen said: “The nomination recognises Chameleon as one of the catalysts for dance development in Greater Manchester, which is amazing.  From the outset of Chameleon, we aspired to have an impact on dance regionally, and over the years, we’ve worked towards this through our performances, advocacy work and growing workshop programme. A thriving dance community is now developing here, which looking back, we’ve helped grow. For this I’m really proud.”

For the Manchester Culture Awards’ Promotion of Health & Wellbeing nomination, our Co-Artistic Director, Kevin, led on a dance and mental project with young people’s mental health charity, 42nd Street. Filmed for a BBC Two documentary and presented by world-famous ballerina Darcey Bussell, the project involved six weeks of workshops, which gave young people struggling with their mental health, the opportunity to explore feelings and challenges through dance.

Kevin said, “It was a joy and a pleasure to be involved in such a fantastic project. The award nomination reaffirms the transformational power of dance, and the positive impact it can have on mental health and well-being, which is evidenced through the young people’s stories shared in the documentary.”

Our nomination for the Promotion of Culture & Education at the Manchester Culture Awards focuses on our dance workshop programme delivered across the city. Over one year, Chameleon delivered nearly 200 sessions in educational and community settings for over 3,000 young people.

For our workshops in Manchester Secondary School, 90% of participants rated workshops either 4 or 5 stars with young people’s comments including “I got to do what I love without anyone judging me” and “I feel like I have learnt new ways to express myself.”

Anthony said: “Since the beginning of Chameleon, we’ve always been committed to introducing dance to young people and creating platforms and opportunities to explore the artform. Over the past year, it’s been brilliant to develop our workshop offer across Manchester and take dance to the hugely talented young people in our home city.”

Follow us on twitter, Facebook and Instagram for live updates from the award ceremonies on Saturday night. Everyone at Company Chameleon sends their best of luck to all of the nominees both at the Manchester Culture Awards and the One Dance UK Awards.

Don’t miss a beat

Be part of the Chameleon family and receive our regular newsletter to keep up-to-date with our news.

 

"Intense, exciting and inspiring.” “Pushing boundaries like no other.” "Beautiful and thought provoking." “A brilliant and moving piece of social commentary in the medium of dance.” “A gripping piece performed by fantastic dancers.”

Thank you to everyone who comes to watch us perform and for your comments and feedback!