FEATURED ARTISTS AT FLEETWOOD MOVES ’26
AIMEE WILLIAMSON
Aimee is a Lancashire-based performer, dance artist and theatre maker. Her work spans across ballet, contemporary, physical theatre and puppetry. She creates work for outdoor spaces using inspiration from folklore, nature and local heritage. Her work includes traditional folk dancing of Morris and Lancashire clog and modern styles of dance. She feels a strong connection to her home area and strives to bring high quality dance theatre and the warmth of folk storytelling to local family audiences. She has an expansive career creating, performing and touring with companies such as Folkdance Remixed, BalletFolk, Handmade Theatre, Kindred Folk, LPM Dance, Wild Rumpus and Ballet Cymru. We are delighted to be programming Aimee’s incredible new work Pendle Witch at Fleetwood Move this year!
See more of Aimee’s work on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/aimeelilywilliamson/
ALSADAQA
ASCENDANCE
We’re delighted to welcome Ascendance to Fleetwood Moves this year! Based in Leeds, the company bring high quality, joyful, inclusive and accessible experiences that support physical, mental and social wellbeing. Their work includes regular classes for over-50s, alongside dedicated sessions for people living with Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions. For their Fleetwood Moves ’26 appearance, Ascendance will present two co-curated dance works performed by their adult performance company, Fuse Dance Collective.
More details on ascendance can be found at: https://ascendance.org.uk/
CONNECT PLAY LEARN
Connect Play Learn is a Community Interest Company set up to provide therapeutic arts-based activities for families, children, and individuals with Special Educational Needs, Disabilities or additional needs in the Morecambe Bay area.
Find out more at https://www.connectplaylearn.org/
DANCE SYNDROME
Dance Syndrome transforms lives, creating change, opportunities and joy for people with and without Down’s syndrome and other learning disabilities, using inclusive dance as a vehicle in a unique, ground-breaking way which doesn’t exist anywhere else. Dance Syndrome’s ethos is that disability should never be a barrier to following your dreams.
Find out more at https://dancesyndrome.co.uk/
DUXBURY DESIGNS/CREATURE COLLECTIVE
Katie Duxbury is a costume designer and maker with a love of all things colourful and fun. She creates the spectacular and fantastical costumes worn by Creatures Collective to reflect and celebrate the beauty of the world around us, and to bring a bit of joy and silliness! Recycling and resourcefulness are at the heart of Katie’s work, with pre-used materials being central to her inspiration and garment construction. Katie’s costume skills have been developed through fifteen years of freelancing with theatrical wardrobe departments and dance companies across the country, including The Dukes Lancaster, LPM Dance Company, About Time Dance Company, Oldham Coliseum, The Aldwych London and Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
FLAKEFLEET SCHOOL
Info coming soon
FLEETWOOD FUSION & LET’S DANCE LANCASTER
Fleetwood Fusion are an inclusive creative dance company for adults of all abilities. The weekly class is led by Helen Gould and Corinne Tams of LPM, from Barbara Jackson’s Theatre Arts in Fleetwood.
Let’s Dance Lancaster is an inclusive dance group for adults led by LPM Dance in partnership with North Lancashire Down Syndrome Group.
We’re excited to be bringing Fleetwood Fusion and Let’s Dance together for the first time to perform a dance piece that was choreographed by members of both groups.
HARMONY & HEALTH
Harmony & Health are not a choir! They are a joyous and inspirational community singing group. It really doesn’t matter how well you can sing, it’s about enjoying some good tunes in good company.
More information on harmony and Health: https://www.healthierfleetwood.co.uk/harmony-and-health
HOWARD HAIGH
Howard Haigh has been delighting and entertaining audiences for three decades. A hugely accomplished and virtuosic player of the Spanish Guitar, mixing Flamenco, Classical, Jazz and other styles, Howard is an acclaimed composer, taking music from around the world to create a vibrant, exhilarating and thoroughly enjoyable musical experience. Howard’s performances often include some of his favourite popular tunes from The Beatles, Santana, Blues and Folk – adding to the broad appeal of the show.
INDEPEN-DANCE
Indepen-dance is Scotland’s award-winning inclusive dance company for disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy, express, and fulfil their potential through dance. Our mission is to enable participation in high-quality arts provision and improve wellbeing, quality of life, and provide opportunities for disabled and non-disabled dancers in both the professional and non-professional dance sectors.
Find out more at https://www.indepen-dance.org.uk/
INNER STATE THEATRE COMPANY
Andy Andrews and Christine Bissell are INNER STATE … as usual !! A comedy double act who work hard but are the most relaxed performers around – even after working together since 1992. Seasoned performers who always look like they’re having a great time and are an asset to any event. Audience participation is a vital part of the act, whether they are doing a theatre show, playing music, or attempting to mix and mingle with the crowd. They claim that they can cope with anything … except silence!
Find out more about Inner State at https://www.innerstate.co.uk/
ITHALIA JOHNSON
Ithalia is a multi-disciplinary artist, facilitator, and educator with over 20 years’ experience working across the arts and community sector. She creates spaces where people can share, hold, and express their stories—rooted in culture, community, and joy.
PRESTON YOUTH DANCE COMPANY (PYDC)
We’re extremely excited to welcome back Preston Youth Dance Company to Fleetwood Moves after wowing audiences with their talent at the 2024 festival! Preston Youth Dance Company was initially founded in 2012 by Blue Moose founder/director Sarah Hall to offer young dancers in Preston the chance to develop their skills and open doors to future career opportunities in the dance sector. PYDC are a performance company aged 11 – 19 years, consisting of talented dancers from across Preston and the surrounding areas. Dancers create high-quality choreographic work in a collaborative way, injecting their own unique personalities, styles and experiences to make genuine and relatable performance work for their audiences. approach enables the Company to be a voice for Youth and the Arts in our area, empowering them to tell their story! PYDC are resident company at the University of Lancashire and are Blue Moose Dance Company’s flagship programme.
More info on PYDC at https://www.bluemoosedance.org.uk/projects/pydc/
TAKE ROOT (LPM DANCE TEAM)
In May this year, LPM Dance welcomed Travis Smith, Charli-May Townend and Luke Whipp to the team. We’re delighted that this group of talented artists from our Take Root Apprentice programme will be featured at the Fleetwood Moves festival this year. More information coming soon!
The LPM Team will be performing across the event. The team comprise:
- Helen Gould (co-Director)
- George Adams (co-Director)
- Travis Smith (Apprentice)
- Charli-May Townend (Apprentice)
- Luke Whipp (Apprentice)
TDN (TALENT DEVELOPMENT NORTH)
Talent Development North supports learning for disabled or autistic dance artists to explore, create and progress within dance. For Fleetwood Moves ’26 they will be performing “Step Ahead”: A flagship production choreographed and performed by choreographer and dancer Artist Ben Wilson.
TRAMSHED THEATRE COMPANY
TramShed are an inclusive theatre company based in Blackpool. What started as a small grassroots charity 17 years ago has now grown into a well-respected, dynamic and developed organisation. Driven by the voices of our community, we break down social barriers and social exclusions in all their forms. Unequivocally inclusive, TramShed is a place where differences are always accepted and actively celebrated. Join TramShed for a celebration of inclusivity performance through the art of Creative Sign Language.
TURNAROUND DANCE THEATRE
In 2014, sisters Ellen, Grace and Lily co-founded TurnAround Dance Theatre (TADT.) We’re delighted to welcome Grace and Ellen to Fleetwood Moves this year, where Grace will be wowing the crowds with her aerial skills, and Ellen will be part of our comparing team and leading inclusive workshops with you all.
More info about Turnaround at https://www.turnarounddancetheatre.co.uk/
UPBEAT ROCK ACADEMY
Upbeat Rock Academy are a music academy based in Poulton and Blackpool.
Read more about Upbeat Rock Academy at https://www.facebook.com/upbeatrockacademy
