Swan Lake Take Flight
Overview
In 2024-25, New Adventures is touring its pioneering production of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake.
Alongside the show, we are working with theatres across the UK to offer a range of free dance activities and experiences for young people inspired by Swan Lake.
If you run a community-based group and would like us to deliver a dance workshop for your group, click on your local city below to go to the sign-up form. More information can also be found in this leaflet.
Download our Community Workshop FAQs
If you’re a young person and would like to take part in a Swan Lake experience day in your local theatre, please click on our local city below to sign up to a Swan Lake Take Flight day.
Download our Swan Lake Take Flight Day FAQs
If you need any leaflets or forms in an alternative format, please contact eman@new-adventures.net.
Become a Green Champion of the World
New Adventures is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and encourages you, as part of Swan Lake Take Flight, to join us in becoming a Green Champion of the World, please read here to find out what that involves. Find out more about our Green Adventures initiative.
Swan Lake Production Themes
If you’re affected by any of the themes in the show, please reach out to the following organisations for support:
Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/
Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/
About Swan Lake Take Flight
To coincide with this 30th anniversary tour of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, New Adventures has developed Swan Lake Take Flight, an ambitious dance project which seeks to reach over 2,500 young people in the UK. The activities that make up this project, which include regional dance-artist training and employment, community movement workshops and in-theatre experience days, are inspired by Swan Lake and will engage young people who may or may not have ever experienced dance before. The activities will focus on how connecting, creating, and moving together can improve wellbeing. Furthermore, through a pioneering research partnership with The Centre for Health and Wellbeing across the Lifecourse at Brunel University London, New Adventures will identify the conditions and mechanisms by which Swan Lake Take Flight achieves its wellbeing outcomes.
The project will be delivered with New Adventures’ Placemaking partners, including Mayflower Theatre and MAST Mayflower Studios, Norwich Theatre, The Alhambra Bradford, Theatre Royal Plymouth, The Marlowe Canterbury, Theatre Royal Newcastle and Farnham Maltings, as New Adventures aims to support relationships between venues and local community groups and bring new audiences into theatres across the country.
Etta Murfitt, Associate Artistic Director of New Adventures, said,
“Now, more than ever, young people need dance and dance needs young people! Just as our production of Swan Lake embraces the next generation, Swan Lake Take Flight will get today’s generation of children and young people moving and excited about dance and validate the impact of dance on wellbeing to support the future of our industry and generations to come. I could not be prouder of this pioneering programme and look forward to working with our venue partners throughout the UK to make it a success.”
Explore the themes of Swan Lake
During our workshops and Swan Lake Take Flight Days we will be thinking about and creating movement around the themes in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake.
For a deep dive into these themes and to learn more about the production, visit our Swan Lake Behind the Scenes page.
Evaluation
We are delighted to be partnering with The Centre for Health and Wellbeing at Brunel University London, to build a programme theory of wellbeing for the Swan Lake Take Flight programme.
The research will identify the conditions and mechanisms by which community dance achieves its wellbeing outcomes and will build evidence of the impact of an extensive programme of movement and dance activity in different places with diverse participants across the UK. The PhD will ensure the development of an evidence-led framework for supporting the values of New Adventures in ensuring wide accessibility for people in different places to watch adventurous performances, take part in creative movement projects and become part of the New Adventures family of performers, professional practitioners and participants.
We have defined that Wellbeing is about feeling happier and healthier through creativity, connection, joy, and wonder. Swan Lake Take Flight is about bringing young people together, making them feel excited and inspired, and enriching their lives through movement. By valuing their creativity and giving them the chance to flourish, we aim to improve the wellbeing of every participant involved across the UK.
Hannah Filer, Dance, Communities and Wellbeing Doctoral Researcher, is undertaking this PhD which will lead to the design and delivery of workshop activities to coproduce a programme theory of wellbeing or community dance. We are also working closely with Hannah’s supervisor Louise Mansfield, Professor of Sport, Health and Social Sciences and Research Lead for Welfare, Health and Wellbeing in the Institute of Environment, Health and Societies.
Meet Hannah Filer, Communities and Wellbeing Doctoral Researcher at Brunel University.
Meet Louise Mansfield, Professor of Sport, Health and Social Sciences at Brunel University.
Contact our team
If you need more information about Swan Lake Take Flight or would like the information in an alternative format, please email Swan Lake Take Flight Producer Leah Fox leah@new-adventures.net, or call 07821 110170.