Dance City will welcome The Harvest by Fertile Ground, the North East’s leading professional development dance company, on Sunday 7 September from 11am-8pm. The Harvest is a vibrant, one-day celebration of movement, creativity, and community that includes workshops, discussions and performances.
Curated and produced by Fertile Ground, The Harvest provides a platform for emerging and established artists connected to the North East, offering opportunities for participation, performance and engagement as audience members.
The Harvest has been made possible with funding from the
Backstage Trust, Sir James Knott Trust, Community Foundation North East, The
Garrick Charitable Trust, The Barbour Foundation, The Shears Foundation,
Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust, The Joicey Trust and Arts Council
England with support from Dance City and Gateway Studio.
Full Festival Listings
The Harvest 2025
Sunday 7 September, 11am to 8pm
A vibrant one-day celebration of dance, creativity, and community, produced by Fertile Ground and hosted by Dance City.
Join us for an inspiring day filled with seven dynamic workshops, a thought-provoking panel discussion, and captivating performances by Fertile Ground, its alumni, and talented local dance groups. Connect with fellow dance enthusiasts, share ideas, and move together in a joyful, inclusive and creative space.
Workshops
Floorwork Masterclass with Lila Naruse
Sunday 7 September, 11am to 12.15pm
Explore dynamic movement sequences that connect the body to the ground. This masterclass focuses on fluid transitions, strength, and control, helping dancers build confidence and creativity in floor-based movement.
Ballet Masterclass with Amy Becke
Sunday 7 September, 11am to 12.15pm
Explore the fundamentals of classical technique through alignment, musicality and expressive movement. Designed to refine your skill and artistry, the session will challenge and inspire dancers of all levels.
Introduction to Choreographic Practice with Pagan Hunt
Sunday 7 September, 12.30pm to 1.45pm
Explore the core principles of choreography through creative tasks, movement exploration, and guided improvisation. Develop your artistic voice while learning how to structure and shape original dance material.
Masterclass: Sound and Movement with Ashling McCann
Sunday 7 September, 12.30pm to 1.45pm
Explore how sound and movement interact in a playful and experimental way using different surfaces of the room and experiment with creating sounds throughout the Dance City building.
Masterclass: Introduction to Contemporary Partnering with Lila Naruse & Rosie Macari
Sunday 7 September, 2pm to 3.15pm
Discover the fundamentals of contemporary dancing in partnership through basic techniques, trust, and creativity.
Masterclass: Ballroom Partnering with Alyssa Lisle
Sunday 7 September, 2pm to 3.15pm
Explore the essentials of ballroom partnering, focusing on connection, lead and follow techniques, and musicality. Through guided practice, you’ll develop trust, coordination, and a sense of rhythm while learning the fundamentals of classic ballroom styles.
Masterclass: Seated Dance with Alyssa Lisle
Sunday 7 September, 5pm to 6.15pm
Explore creative movement from a seated position, focusing on expression, musicality, and connection. Open to all abilities, this inclusive session encourages participation to discover the joy of dance through accessible and engaging movement practices.
Community Platform Performance
Harvest Project: The Platform Performance
Sunday 7 September, 3.30pm to 4.45pm
A showcase of original works created by local community dance groups with guidance from Fertile Ground dancers.
Panel Discussion
Pathways to a Career in Dance
Sunday 7 September, 5pm to 6.15pm
In this panel discussion, explore the diverse routes into a dance career within the North East, guided by a panel of experienced artists, educators, and industry professionals. Gain valuable insights, ask questions, and connect with others navigating the vibrant dance landscape of the region.
Evening Performance
The Harvest: Fertile Ground
Sunday 7 September, 6.30pm to 8pm
A pay-as-you-can triple bill of contemporary dance works presented by Fertile Ground’s Artistic Director, alumni, and guests. The evening opens with two powerful new performances created by alumni Pagan Hunt and Ellie Trow, and Lila Naruse in collaboration with Rosie Macari, and concludes with the world premiere of E-Motion, an interactive live dance experience that invites the audience to shape the performance in real time.
- Aetherbound
Concept, choreography and performance: Lila Naruse & Rosie Macari
A visually striking aerial dance work exploring themes of restriction, resilience, and reconnection. Using rope and harness, the performers trace a journey shaped by heritage, nature, and the evolving strength of womanhood. Aetherbound resonates with audiences across generations – from young women coming of age, to older women with lived experience, and men invited to witness a story of transformation and strength.
Duration: 15 minutes
- Obscura
Concept and choreography: Pagan Hunt & Ellie Trow
Performance: Pagan Hunt
An evocative interplay of film and live dance, Obscura reflects on fleeting encounters and the moments in life when people and places blur and transform. It asks: Can you remember the first time you met someone? Or did you notice the last time you saw them?
Duration: 15 minutes
- E-motion (World Premiere)
Concept and choreography: Renaud Wiser
Choreography and performance: Maria Giacchetto, Esme Jobey, Hope Brown-King, Berta Admetlla
Interactive app development: Jon Rowe
In this playful and participatory performance, audience members shape the show in real time using a mobile app. Choose who performs, how they move, what music guides them, and the number of dancers performing at any given time. Drawing on structured improvisation and pre-set material, the dancers respond live to audience input, breaking the traditional boundaries between performer and spectator.
Duration: 30 minutes
About Fertile Ground
Fertile Ground is a Newcastle-based professional development dance company dedicated to nurturing the next generation of contemporary dance artists in the North East of England. Resident at Dance City, the company creates, commissions and presents inspirational, accessible dance that reflects the diversity, talent, and energy of the region.
Fertile Ground provides a launchpad for early-career dancers through performance opportunities, mentorship, and community engagement.
