In 2024 Peterborough Presents is celebrating 10 years of working with communities across the city to create great ‘art’. Mention the arts and people naturally think of galleries and theatres. For the last 10 years, arts organisation Peterborough Presents has been working with people from across the city to show that it is this and so much more. It can mean circuses, folk tales, street murals, poetry on the walls at the Lido, Zombie Walks at Diwali, being serenaded by violins whilst in a hot tub at Thorpe Meadows, going on magical history tours and creating lantern parades. It can mean carnivals at Millfield Festival, weekly craft groups or even doing up your local street with colourful planters. For their birthday, the Peterborough Presents team want to celebrate all the ways in which you can be creative and encourage you to get creative too. Their 10th birthday is as ambitious as ever! It kicks-off at Peterborough Celebrates Festival on 18th & 19th May at Ferry Meadows. Peterborough Presents will be taking over the ‘creative dome’. In there you can watch amazing carnival performances by Mandinga Arts or get involved in drawing and making sessions. Of course, there will be some party games too! Artist Rose Croft is currently working with groups from across the city to create colourful garlands and artworks from recycled materials that will decorate the Creative Dome. With funding from Arts Council England, Peterborough Presents has been working with people of all ages and backgrounds. Programme Director Sarah Haythornthwaite says “ There’s a lot of creativity in Peterborough and also energy to try something different. 10 years is a proper milestone too. Over those years we have had the pleasure, and honour, of working with specific neighbourhoods in the city to create projects alongside local residents. We don’t tell people what ‘arts’ they need." "We start by getting to know people, find out what inspires them, what's missing and then we create something together. It makes every project and every neighbourhood unique. We have seen people make new friends, learn new skills, even seen communities come together for the first time. They have looked at their neighbourhood in a different way and found creative ways to shout about something important to them. We’ve worked with some amazing established artists but have also helped to support some fabulous new ones too. Above all, we’ve had fun!” The birthday celebrations will continue throughout the year with community-led creative programmes in Millfield, Westwood, Eye, and beyond. Highlights include the Millfield Makers event in August, Eye Lantern Parade in November and film projects with young people in Westwood. You can expect some short films, podcasts and digital artwork released online too. Sarah continues “ The Peterborough Presents programme has provided thousands of people the opportunity to be part of creative activities over the last 10 years. We enjoy working closely with communities to co-produce our programme so that residents can experience art on their doorstep – projects that are relevant and fun!! A party isn’t a party unless others join us on the dance floor. So, we’re inviting you all to come and join us at Peterborough Celebrates and have a go at being a bit creative. ” Peterborough Presents is hosted by Nene Park Trust and supported by Metal, Peterborough City Council, Peterborough Council for Voluntary Services, Eastern Angles and Creative Lives. The programme is funded by Arts Council England.You can find out more about by visiting www.peterboroughpresents.org . To find out more about Peterborough Celebrates visit www.peterboroughcelebratesfestival.co.uk

CARLOS ACOSTA’S BRB2 BEGINS SECOND UK TOUR WITH A NEW GLOBAL COHORT OF FIRST-CLASS EMERGING BALLET DANCERS In Spring 2023, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s (BRB) Director, the world-renowned Carlos Acosta, launched BRB2 - a new initiative through which BRB pro-actively seeks out some of the best young ballet graduates from across the globe. BRB2 features some of the brightest young stars in the ballet world, hailing from the UK, USA, Ukraine, France, Germany, New Zealand and Australia, and offers a unique opportunity for audiences to be the first to see ballet’s elite rising stars on stage. BRB2 is a magnet for the best UK and international talent, providing extensive training and professional experience, sending developed, professional dancers back into the dance sector and providing role models for the next generation. The two-year performance programme provides vital employment for the next generation of exceptional ballet dancers (aged 18-22) to transition from training into jobs at BRB or other leading ballet companies, impacting the dance sector worldwide. Now, after a hugely successful inaugural tour in 2023, BRB2 hits the road again with further performances of Carlos Acosta’s Classical Selection, a mixed programme of balletic highlights chosen by Acosta himself, visiting some venues for the first time. Opening in Cheltenham, the tour then visits Poole, Northampton, Canterbury and Peterborough. BRB2’s visit to Canterbury will mark the first time Birmingham Royal Ballet has performed in the city. Carlos Acosta said: “ Everyone was so delighted with how the inaugural year of BRB2 went. It's been a great year, watching the inaugural group of dancers grow and develop, and to welcome the second intake join and quickly establish themselves as vital members of the Company. Many BRB2 artists are already taking important roles in the current The Sleeping Beauty tour (over 41 shows this Spring) and I cannot be more thrilled that all of the initial intake will be joining the Company full-time at the end of this season. " It's not just about talent spotting though! My Classical Selection is a brilliant evening of ballet whether you are an established fan or looking for a way to discover what ballet is all about. ” The music for End of Time and Dying Swans will be performed live by Jeanette Wong (Head of Piano) and Antonio Novais (Principal Cellist). Jeanette will also perform two solo piano pieces by Ravel to accompany a brand-new duet, titled Mirrored, choreographed especially for BRB2 this year by Will Tuckett. The programme for the 2024 UK tour includes the world premiere of Mirrored, a wholly new duet created by William Tuckett for BRB2. Further pas de deux include Frederick Ashton’s Rhapsody - premiered at The Royal Ballet in 1980 by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Lesley Collier; August Bournonville’s most famous ballet La Sylphide; The love duet from Swan Lake - probably the most famous pas de deux in ballet; Carlos Acosta’s take on Fokine’s The Dying Swan which features two dancers instead of one (hence The Dying Swans plural) and is double the usual length; Marius Petipa’s Diana and Actaeon pas de deux; Ben Stevenson’s End of Time set to Rachmaninov's gloriously melancholic Sonata in G Minor (3rd movement). In the second half Gustavo Mollajoli’s A Buenos Aires celebrates the spirit of tango to music by Astor Piazzolla; the iconic Edith Piaf’s Je ne regrette rien choreographed by Ben Van Cauwenbergh, whose Jacques Brel-inspired humorous gala piece Les Bourgeois will also feature. Acosta’s choreography for the Carmen pas de deux promises to raise the temperature with Bizet’s heat-seeking score. Will Tuckett’s new duet Mirrored will captivate audiences before Jorges Garcia’s Majisimo closes out the programme, performed to Massenet’s music from Le Cid. Below Will Tuckett (c) Imogen Harvey

Bethlehem Cultural Festival has announced a new international graffiti art project, Palestinian street artist Taqi Spateen is coming to the UK to create large-scale murals with local street artists in five locations. So far, Jimmy C and Ciaran Glöbel confirmed, more artists to come. Spateen has been liaising from Palestine with the artists about the plans, both logistical and artistic, for the murals they will create. The locations are still being chosen, factoring in visibility to the public, footfall - and vitally how long each mural will stay in place before being painted over. Depending on light and weather, the artists plan to paint every day working towards a public unveiling on the final day in each location. Palestinian artist and activist Taqi Spateen is in the UK to work with work with artists and communities in Leeds, Glasgow, Bristol, Stroud and London to create five large-scale murals. Street artists Ciaran Glöbel in Glasgow and Jimmy C in London are already confirmed. More artists and the exact locations for the murals will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Glasgow-based Ciaran Glöbel, with fellow artist Conzo Throb, was behind the fake Banksy - a rat wearing a union jack bowler and banging a drum emblazoned with the words “God Save the King” - which appeared in the city last June. The stunt was intended to highlight the hypocrisy surrounding street art and graffiti, where some artworks are praised and valued and others are dismissed and removed. Glöbel was the subject of a 2018 BBC Arts short film, Hands On, about his work as an artist, graphic designer and signwriter. Australian-born and London-based, Jimmy C (James Cochran) was a vital part of the development of the graffiti scene in Adelaide, known for his aerosol art murals and his work in city and regional communities across Australia. His urban realist narrative paintings often depict marginalised humans in the context of the urban environment. On 8th May, Spateen arrives in Leeds to begin working with a group of local street artists in collaboration with East Street Arts and the Leeds Palestine Film Festival. On 17 May, he travels up to Glasgow to team up with Ciaran Glöbel, one of the artists behind the recent fake Banksy in the city. On 27 May, he heads to Bristol to work with a team of artists as part of Upfest, Europe’s largest street art and graffiti festival. On 1 June, he goes to Stroud to work with Stroud Valleys Artspace (SVA) and the Picturedrome Theatre, Gloucester. From 6 to 15 June, he will be teaming up with Jimmy C in London. Taqi Spateen has created many murals on the wall including The Boy with the Goldfish Bowl, showing a child with what is left after the destruction of his childhood home, a series of portraits of George Floyd, and his collaboration with the brand The North Face, Walls Are Meant For Climbing. Now creating and exhibiting internationally, Spateen draws inspiration from the Palestinian countryside, particularly the olive tree, one of the most famous of all Palestinian symbols. His more recent paintings also include depictions of mass urbanisation and colonial settlements on his precious homeland. Graffiti art is a major cultural force in Palestine. In August 2005, UK street artist Banksy and his team painted seven large murals on a section of the 440-miles-long West Bank Wall, also referred to as the Separation Wall. Since then, the wall has gone on to become a hotspot for the graffiti scene, a major tourist attraction and a powerful work of art in its own right. The Festival’s creative director, Melissa Scott, says: " We are excited to be able to facilitate collaborations between Taqi and UK-based street artists. We hope the resulting murals will be a lasting legacy demonstrating our hopes to eliminate the walls and borders that divide us as humans. We continue to be devastated by the violence inflicted on all our friends, artists and cultural practitioners in Palestine.” For up to date information about the murals in each location and the street artist involved, please got to https://www.bethlehemculturalfestival.com/ Images Taqi Spateen (below); Jimmy C (above)

Following a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in summer 2023, award-winning Spanish theatre company Yllana brings the London premiere of The Opera Locos to the Peacock Theatre, Sadler’s Wells’ home in the West End, this week. The Opera Locos is a comic opera show where five lyrical singers combine well-known opera classics including La Traviata and Madama Butterfly with rock and pop hits from Whitney Houston to Mika. The show integrates these musical genres with Yllana’s physical comedy style to create a show for audiences of all ages. In The Opera Locos, a troupe of eccentric opera singers embark on a performance of repertoire from the greatest operatic composers, throughout the show they each reveal their hidden passions that will bring unpredictable and comedic consequences. The group is made up of five colourful characters including Alfredo, a worn-out tenor with a glorious past, wild mezzo soprano Carmen, Enrique, the macho baritone, pop-loving counter-tenor Franelli and Maria, a naive soprano. The show, which won Spain’s prestigious Max Award for Best Musical Show, has brought opera to a new audience around the world, while still maintaining high standards in technique. The Opera Locos features music from classic operas including Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte Verdi’s La Traviata, Puccini’s La Boèhme and Madama Butterfly Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Bizet’s Carmen among others alongside pop and rock hits such as Mika’s ‘Grace Kelly’, Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’, Whitney Houston’s ‘I will always love you’, Bob Marley’s ‘No woman no cry’ Céline Dion's ‘My Heart Will Go On’ Elton John’s ‘Can you feel the love tonight’ and U2’s ‘With or without you’. Founded in 1991, Yllana specialises in comedy and physical theatre. The cast is made up of renowned singers hailing from Spain and Africa including Enrique Sánchez-Ramos, Jesús Álvarez, María Rey-Joly, Mayca Teba and Michaël Koné. The Opera Locos is created and co-directed by Joseph O’Curneen and David Ottone with musical direction by Marc Alvarez & Manuel Coves, costumes and set design by Tatiana de Sarabia and Lighting design by Pedro Pablo Melendo. Joseph O’Curneen said, “ We are really excited to be taking The Opera Locos to the Peacock Theatre. Performing in the heart of London has always been a life long aspiration. By uniquely combining opera, pop and physical comedy this show guarantees a truly emotional and enjoyable experience, no matter where you're from. " Yllana present "The Opera Locos" at Peacock Theatre, WC2 from Wednesday 8t – Saturday 11th May. For tickets and further information please go to www.sadlerswells.com or call the Ticket Office on 020 7863 8000

The Home of Entertainment – The Heart of Brighton, Komedia Turns 30! This May, much-loved Brighton institution Komedia will celebrate its 30 th Birthday! From humble beginnings at a small venue on Manchester Street in Kemptown in 1994, to their home for the last 26 years on Gardner Street in the North Laine, Komedia has certainly been through its ups and downs but has managed to weather the storm, in an ever-changing landscape, where multiple independent venues are lost each year. Only yesterday I heard someone say he had been drinking at a venue on a Monday and when he went passed on the Tuesday it was shut & closed. Komedia was born from the minds of the directors of ‘Umbrella Theatre’, Colin Granger, Marina Kobler, and David Lavender. The company modelled the venue on the cabaret theatres they had seen while touring in cities such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Berlin. Lavender stumbled across the name Komedia in an international theatre magazine chose it as it had ‘ echoes of both comedy and media, and a sense of crossing boundaries .’ Komedia soon outgrew the Manchester Street venue and were soon on the hunt for new premises, which at one point even included a venue in Churchill Square. After much searching, in 1998, Komedia moved to Jubilee Shopping Hall (a former Tesco supermarket), the opening show was Disco Pigs featuring Cillian Murphy and in June 1999 Krater Comedy Club was born after the ‘crater like’ basement area was transformed into performance space. The larger venue has attracted a variety of established and up-and-coming acts over the years, often acting as launchpad for new talent. Comedy acts have included: Catherine Tate, Stewart Lee, Ross Noble, Alan Carr, Harry Hill, The Mighty Boosh, Johnny Vegas, Dave Gorman, John Bishop (below), Lee Mack, Jimmy Carr, Michael Mcintyre, Micky Flanagan, Rob Beckett, Alex Horne, Rob Delaney, Eddie Izzard, Greg Davies, Flight of the Conchords, Jack Whitehall, Dara O'Briain, Sarah Millican, Bridget Christie, Armando Ianucci, Zoe Lyons, Angela Barnes, Maisie Adams and Jen Brister. Music acts have included: Lewis Capaldi, KT Tunstall, Tom Odell, James Bay, IDLES, The XX, Kate Nash, Anna Calvi, Ghostpoet, Bonobo, Bat for Lashes, Arctic Monkeys, Foals, Mumford and Sons, Mulatu Astatke, James Blake, All Saints, Alabama Shakes, Shakaba Hutchings, Black Midi, AJ Tracey, Anish Kumar and The Mary Wallopers. In 2020 when COVID struck, the venue closed on the 18 th March 2020 and didn’t re-open until the 22nd May 2021. It was a time of ups and downs, as it was for many venues across the country. Despite being closed for over a year, shows having to move online, three floods, two new floors and a rollercoaster ride of emergency funding bids, Komedia managed to come out the other side, with a renewed sense of determination, rebuilding their programme from the ground up. Komedia Founders Marina and Colin said; “ It has been an incredible journey these past 30 years. The venue we created in Brighton in May 1994 was inspired by European Café Theatre venues and was something entirely new for Brighton and the rest of the UK; and it is thanks to all the brilliant staff and performers who have worked and still work for us, that we remain an independent, self-supporting venue which offers a wide choice of live entertainment, good service and welcomes people of all ages and from all walks of life. We look forward to seeing Komedia develop and thrive in the future. ” To celebrate their birthday, Komedia are putting on a week of special events running from Sat 4th May to Sun 12 th May, see the full programme here . They are also launching Komedia branded merchandise, featuring a custom illustration by Emily Wallace, which will be available to purchase in the venue from May onwards. Komedia are also giving one lucky person a ‘Golden Ticket’ meaning they can access any Komedia event for free for a full year (and they can bring a friend/family member too). Simply head over to their competition page here to find out how you can win before the 30th April! To see what Komedia has coming up, visit their website at www.komedia.co.uk/brighton

Sefton Park Social is a new boutique music, food and drink festival experience launching in the heart of Liverpool's iconic Victorian park throughout Spring/Summer ’24 .The carefully curated series will be see bespoke genre led music events covering all tastes from Disco, Soul, Jazz, Latin, Folk, Country, Indie, 80’s, 90’s and beyond coupled with cultural, craft and well being activities including vintage stalls, yoga and kid play days for all the family. The events series kicks off on the first May Bank Holiday ( 4 th & 5 th ) with the Saturday hosting an official fundraiser for the award winning city gem Africa Oyé, helping to support their ‘non-profit’ annual event and ensure it remains ‘free for all’. Looking back at a phenomenal Oyé ’23 with headliner Seun Kuti, son of legendary afrobeat originator Fela Kuti. Also now looking forward to Oyé ’24 in June with none other than Julian Marley - son of Reggae godfather Bob Marley - the Sefton Park Social invite you to celebrate the life and music of Fela Kuti X Bob Marley & their influences with vibes supplied by all your favourite Trenchtown and Freetown DJs, plus more! Liverpool Disco Festival takes over Sunday 5 th with an all-star line up including one of the world's biggest DJ/producers, Dave Lee fka Joey Negro, Glitterbox crew Lev & Moplen plus New York House legend Pal Joey, with Secretsundaze founder and NTS Radio’s Giles Smith & LDF DJs on support, making up the bill for what will be a quick sell-out spectacular. Sefton Park Social say “ We are delighted to be bringing this series to the much loved park surroundings away from the hustle and bustle of the city and bringing something for everyone, young and old. We will be bringing you some of the best local talent and traders, plus some very special guests from our wide range of genres. Looking forward to a fantastic summer, see you in the park” Details of other forthcoming events from some of the city's best promoters such as Evol, Downtown Nashville and more will be dropping over the coming weeks along with details of bottomless brunches, outdoor cinema evenings & more. And for all Sefton Park woofers out there they even promise some dog friendly days so you can ‘pooch in the park’ with your best buddies!  Tickets for the first phase of Sefton Park Social events via Skiddle: https://www.skiddle.com/g/sefton-park-social/

Created and emceed by UK hip hop maker, Sadlers' Wells Associate Artist, and Breakin’ Convention Artistic Director Jonzi D, Breakin’ Convention Festival returns to Sadler’s Wells in Islington to celebrate hip hop culture in all its forms over the Early May Bank Holiday. The Festival showcases international acts from the USA, South Korea and France, as well as performances from local and national talents on Sadler’s Wells stages. The Festival’s programme displays a wide variety of hip hop styles including breaking, popping, krumping, threading, funk and bruk up. Performances, activities for children o f all ages, live DJs sessions , dance and bespoke graffiti workshops, freestyle sessions and shows take over the entire building. From 6pm on Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 May, audiences will be able to see performances from some of the world’s leading hip hop acts. Including Femme Fatale (USA), Sons of Wind (France) and Jinjo crew (South Korea); CREATE4 (Netherlands) and Ekleido (UK); Ivan Michael Blackstock ’s company TRAPLORD (UK), Boy Blue (UK), When Time Was New (UK) , Gully South Block (GSB) (UK), Company DHW (UK), Sasha Mahfouz Shadid (UK) and ShaolinOrShao (UK) – plus a solo by Jamal Sterrett (UK). During the interval, Cie Kilaï (France) performs in the Lilian Baylis Studio. Founded in 2017 by Chaquille Forrester-Osborne, Gully South Block (GSB) (Above) is a South London-based krumping collective whose aim is to give an intimate insight into one’s lifestyle, and to highlight that there is strength in vulnerabilities. They took part in the Breakin’ Convention artistic development programme Back to the Lab and return for their second Festival in a row. Femme Fatale (below) is a collective of three female dancers based in Los Angeles, originally from France, Mexico and Korea. Marie Poppins, Lily Frias and Dassy Lee bring their piece UNBOUNDED, showcasing their skills in popping, animation and robot through stories of the street dance scene, gender inequality, self-discovery and the ongoing challenges of being an artist. Femme Fatale performed for famous artists and brands and have starred in So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Best Dance Crew. Special activities for families take place front of house. On the First Circle from 4.30pm and again during the interval, the Tiny Totts Workshops are dedicated to children who want to explore various hip hop dance foundations, hosted by two fully qualified facilitators. Live DJ sessions take place in the foyer , featuring DJ Pogo , Cutmaster Swift and Yugson Hawks . Audiences can also learn to tag in the Graff Zone on the First Circle, and in Sadler’s Wells outdoor space, the Yard – while children from all ages are invited to take part in drawing workshops. The main wall in the foyer will be painted by Nean , a Belgian graffiti writer from the Kingdom crew . An hour of improvised theatre, the Freestyle Funk Forum is in the Lilian Baylis Studio. During the interval on both nights, French company Cie Kilaï performs Raw , an intimate show featuring four dancers and spoken word centring women in hip hop in the Lilian Baylis Studio . The company was created in 2014 by Sandrine Lescourant – known as Mufasa – who heads a hip hop troupe with variations on classical, contemporary and traditional African dances. 2024 is a significant year for breaking as it becomes an official Olympic sport for the first time at the Paris Olympics this summer. Academy Breakin’ Convention will open at Sadler's Wells East, offering a full-time further education programme for 16 to 19-year-olds that includes training in all aspects of hip hop – the first of its kind. Academy Breakin’ Convention will have a stall at the Festival on both days, where audiences can find out more about the course, and will host auditions on Sunday 5 May. Find out more information here Home - Academy Breakin' Convention (academybreakinconvention.com) . Breakin' Convention Festival runs on Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th May, for tickets please call the Box Office on 020 7863 8000 or visit the website www.sadlerswells.com . Images above Gully South Block - (c) Belinda Lawley below Femme Fatale - (c) Paul Hampartsoumian

From 1 May 2024. Dogs of all shapes and sizes can explore fifty acres of formal and landscaped gardens of Cheshire's Tatton Park with their owners, enjoying the views and finding their favourite picnic spot in the longer summer days. In this new initiative that Tatton Park are trialling this year, dogs on short leads will be welcome in Tatton’s formal gardens every day through the summer. This new dog initiative in the gardens, will be trialled across the summer months and will be reviewed at the end of September 2024. Not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them, so visitors are reminded to make sure their dogs don’t approach other people, especially children, unless the dog is invited to. In addition to the gardens there are some wonderful parkland walks for visitors with dogs to explore with over one thousand acres of ancient deer park to enjoy. Dogs can exercise off lead, under close control, in the parkland. But please remember to keep a close eye on your dog at all time and have a supply of little bags, should the need arise. Tatton Park are very mindful of their duty to balance the needs of dog owners, who want to enjoy Tatton Park and not leave their dogs "Home Alone" or in a potentially hot car. With their custodianship row in supporting efforts to protect precious parkland wildlife, farm animals and habitats. Hence out in the parkland, dogs will need to be on leads and under close control from 1 May – 31 July 2024 as this is Deer calving time. If you wish to take your family, and the family pet(s) to Tatton this summer (fingers crossed it will be hot, but I didn't want to tempt providence). please check out the up to date advice on the Tatton Park website www.tattonpark.org.uk/dogs and to look out for signage on site, during their visit.

From 26th April - 10th May 2024, Liverpool will come alive with dance, with performances taking place in theatres, cultural venues and public spaces on the streets of the city centre. Leap Dance Festival will present two weeks of dance events showcasing Liverpool City Region talent across seven key venues this spring. After a successful crowdfunding campaign , organisers are delighted to announce a packed programme of events. Established local dance artists and companies perform alongside young people and community groups, in a range of styles from burlesque and breakdance to contemporary dance and a ceilidh, with tickets ranging from £0-£25. Paul Doyle, the festival's Artistic Director says: “ We are so excited to bring dance to audiences across Liverpool. From Breakdance to Vogue, contemporary to tap, there’s something for everyone ”. The festival launches on Friday 26th April at The Black-E with a night of cabaret, burlesque and circus performances, later taking over venues from The Capstone Theatre to National Museums Liverpool, with a schools showcase on International Dance Day. The festival closes on Friday 10th May with a House of Suarez spectacular, featuring vogue artists alongside performers from all dance disciplines from across the festival. Programme Ooh La La Cabaret Friday 26th April, 7pm, The Black-E, £25/22 Ooh La La Cabaret presents a night of circus, cabaret and burlesque. Expect high camp entertainment and death defying stunts from world class performers. - Dancing at the Museum Saturday 27th April, 12pm, National Museums Liverpool, Free Experience pop-up performances happening in museums and galleries across Liverpool. - Schools Dance Platform Monday 29th April, 7pm, Archbishop Blanch, £8/6 Schools and colleges from across Liverpool City Region have been invited to share performances based on countries and cultures from around the world, for International Dance Day. - Liverpool Dance Prize Thursday 2nd May, 7pm, The Capstone Theatre , £12/10 The North West’s emerging artists and choreographers share new work in a chance to win £1000 development fund. In partnership with Liverpool Hope University and Dance Consortia North West. - Youth Dance Showcase Saturday 4th May, 7pm, The Capstone Theatre, £10/8 An evening of performances by and for youth dance companies from across Liverpool City Region. - Dockside Breakers: Boss Breaking Sunday 5th May, 1pm The Black-E, £15 Dockside Breakers take over the Black E in a celebration of hip hop and breakdance culture. This jam will be a competition for over and under 16s, with competitors battling it out for prize monies. - Dancing in the Streets Monday 6th May, 12pm, Liverpool City Centre, Free Enjoy outdoor performances from some of the region’s leading artists. Sponsored by Liverpool BID Company and Liverpool One. - Sole Rebel: Ceilidh Tuesday 7th May, 7.30pm, Liverpool Arts Bar, £10/8 Sole Rebel CIC brings their community Ceilidh event to Leap Dance Festival. Dust off your shoes and get ready to take part in an evening of dancing and live music. - Triple Bill: Rowena Gander/Taciturn(above)/TMC Collective Wednesday 8th May, 7.30pm, Unity Theatre, £15/£12 A triple bill of new work commissioned by Culture Liverpool from female choreographers based in Liverpool. - Higher Education Showcase Thursday 9th May, 1.30pm, The Capstone Theatre, Free (tickets required) A selection of new work by emerging talent from the North West, selected from universities and training schools. - House of Suarez vs Leap Friday 10th May, 7pm, The Black-E, £25/22 Worlds collide, as performers from across the festival take to the runway in a range of categories, with iconic voguing from House of Suarez. Hosted by Rikki Beadle Blair. Tickets are on sale now via leapfestival.co.uk