Jordan Tansey, Hull FC, RFL and Megan Hughes, Northern Ballet Theatre. Paul Floyd Blake
imove has awarded £855,000 to three groundbreaking partnerships between Yorkshire-based organisations for the creation of a series of projects linking art and sport in the run up to London 2012.
Inspired by the forthcoming Olympics, the imove Programme aims to transform the relationship between people in Yorkshire and their moving bodies through unique crossovers between culture, sport and physical education.
imove is funded by Legacy Trust UK, an independent charity set up to help build a lasting cultural and sporting legacy from the 2012 Olympic Games. Yorkshire Forward and Arts Council England, Yorkshire, have also invested in the programme.
The new projects, which will take place across the Yorkshire region over the next three years, will apply for the Inspire Mark to become part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.
The projects are:
Don't Just Sit There
Lead partner Northern Ballet Theatre, with Education Leeds, College of Chinese Physical Culture, Rotherham-based Open Minds Theatre Company, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Marketing Leeds and the Rugby Football League will harness their resources to tackle issues arising from sedentary lifestyles in Don't Just Sit There.
The project aims to teach people about their bodies and increase participation in sport and physical activity using dance, physical theatre, music, sport and alternative movement forms.
Extraordinary Moves
Lead partner Sheffield Hallam University will join forces with Huddersfield-based Chol Theatre to challenge perceptions of disability in sport at all levels in Extraordinary Moves.
The specialised Movement Capture facilities at Sheffield Hallam University will be used in a participatory dance and sport programme looking at how our bodies achieve physical and creative expression in everyday life.
Other plans include a touring production for theatre venues, exhibitions in galleries and interactive elements, all dovetailing with the UK School Games in Sheffield in 2011.
People Moves (New Worlds)
A unique partnership led by The National Media Museum (NMeM) with Alchemy, National Centre for Early Music (NCEM), Bradford's Department of Culture, Tourism and Sport, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and Harewood House unites for People Move (New Worlds).
The project explores frontiers of the imagination, the intertwining of arts, science and technology, and the shaping of identities through the movement of people across continents into and out of Yorkshire.
Professor Adam Carey, Chair of the imove Board, said: 'I am very pleased that we have been able to award the three major contract strands as part of imove Legacy Trust funding. These strands will work with large numbers of people in the region to encourage us to think about how we move and live our lives - supporting everyone, young and old, to become more active with a diverse range of activities encompassing culture, learning and sport.'
The three projects will lever a further half a million pounds in value in total, and engage around 1.5 million participants over the next three years.
For more information visit Cultural Olympiad in Yorkshire
