BY DAVID BOLGER

“Joyful, clever, entertaining, intricate, technically superb and with a heart of goodness, Francis Footwork is a pure and simple delight. – The Irish Times

“If it all sounds a little magical and wondrous, that’s because it is. As well as being one of the most exquisitely choreographed and beautifully produced pieces of dance theatre to be had anywhere…Joyous, uplifting, and miraculously magical, “Francis Footwork” might well have you feeling a little bit starstruck. – The Arts Review

“A magical, marvellous take on dancing to your own tune” – The Sunday Business Post

SEE, TOUCH, FEEL, DANCE in this 180° virtual reality presentation of FRANCIS FOOTWORK which was filmed live at The Ark Children’s Cultural Centre.

David Bolger’s vibrant production has been loved by audiences and critics alike since it premiered in 2019. It is a magical, empowering tale that celebrates individuality and encourages everyone to dance their own dance. Now we’re transforming the experience to bring it up close and unique to you, wherever you might live – where everyone’s seat is front row centre!  

A typical presentation includes CREATIVE DANCE TALES – where younger audiences will take part in a workshop programme that bookends the VR screening for primary school-aged children to engage, explore, and create dance through kinaesthetic and collaborative learning.  

UP NEXT…

ST PATRICK’S FESTIVAL 2024 | 16 MARCH | FESTIVAL QUARTER 

12.00PM & 1.05PM | FREE | Capacity is limited on a first come, first served basis.
Find out more about the Festival Quarter lineup and location here.

AVAILABLE FOR TOURING

Recommended for ages 7+

To book please contact Bridget at bridget@coisceim.com

“It felt so real – you see things you don’t get to see in a theatre close up, it’s like your own personal show.”

“The dancing was brilliant!”

“It was so cool!”

“I didn’t know what to expect, I want to see more shows like that.”

“It really felt like they were right in the room with me – it made me want to dance!”

WHAT TO EXPECT

When FRANCIS FOOTWORK was filmed, the two eyes of the 180º stereoscopic camera were sitting in the middle of the front row of the theatre – so when you watch through the VR headset, you will feel like you are in the front row too, watching the performance in 3D!  You can move your head and choose where you look, just like you would in a theatre. You will be seated in a circle, about a metre from the person next to you.  You will receive a sanitised Pico 4k VR headset and CoisCéim’s team will help you so that it fits comfortably.  

The VR presentation is about 35 minutes long. It is followed by a short snack break when chairs are cleared away to make space for CREATIVE DANCE TALES – a physical creative dance workshop with Olwyn Lyons!  At this point, parents and carers will leave the space during the 40 – 45 minute dance workshop.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS | Younger audiences aged 7-10 are invited to take part in CREATIVE DANCE TALES.  This is a 2-part programme for children who want to dance and are interested in performance. Over the course of 2 sessions – with a workshop before the VR presentation, and one immediately after  – children will learn about the key themes and main characters in FRANCIS FOOTWORK.  They will be guided through a series of lively exercises and movement tasks to devise and dance their own unique story. Find out more here.

WHAT TO WEAR | If you are taking part in the workshops, please wear trainers and loose, comfortable clothes that you can move in.

WHAT TO BRING | Workshop participants: please bring a bottle of water and a healthy snack for the short break after the VR presentation.

GALLERY 

Photos by Ros Kavanagh

VIRTUAL REALITY CREDITS

DIRECTION Enya Belak
FILMING AND POST-PRODUCTION Igor Crnković
PRODUCER FOR AEROWAVES Anna Arthur
AEROWAVES COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Clàudia Brufau
AEROWAVES DIRECTOR John Ashford
PRODUCERS Sarah Latty and Bridget Webster

Produced by CoisCéim Dance Theatre
A Springback Production
Filmed live in Virtual Reality in May 2022 at The Ark Children’s Cultural Centre, Dublin 2, Ireland

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE ARTISTS AND CREATORS OF FRANCIS FOOTWORK CLICK HERE

 

TOURING HISTORY

BRDO KULTURE (CULTURE HILL), MARITIME AND HISTORY MUSEUM OF CROATIAN LITTORAL | 14 OCTOBER 2023
presented in collaboration with HKD, Croatia 
with CREATIVE DANCE TALES workshops led by Mila Čuljak

MORE INFORMATION | hkd-rijeka.hr

UKSAK PUN KULTURE / BACKPACK (FULL OF) CULTURE PROJECT | SEPTEMBER 2023
presented in collaboration with HKD, Croatia
with CREATIVE DANCE TALES workshops led by Mila Čuljak , Kristina Paunovski and Andreja Brozović Adžić Kapitanović

A Backpack (full of) Culture programme is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia
MORE INFORMATION | min-kulture.gov.hr

MADE IN DARNDALE SUMMER FESTIVAL
Tuesday 23 May & Wednesday 24 May | CREATIVE DANCE TALES led by Olwyn Lyons for schools | 9.15am & 11.00am in the Community Hall
Thursday 25 May  & Friday 26 May | FRANCIS FOOTWORK VR followed by CREATIVE DANCE TALES led by Olwyn Lyons for schools | 9:15 & 11.15am in the Community Hall
Sunday 28 May | FRANCIS FOOTWORK VR | 1.00pm & 2.00pm | public screenings in the Big Top | FREE admission | first-come, first-served – capacity is limited

Part of Creative Places Darndale
MORE INFORMATION | creativeplacesdarndale.ie

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE | CROATIA | HKD’s PORT OF DANCE FESTIVAL
SCREENINGS | Sat 13 & Sun 14 May 2023 
with CREATIVE DANCE TALES workshops led by Mila Čuljak , Kristina Paunovski and Andreja Brozović Adžić Kapitanović 
LOCATION | The Children’s House, Rijeka
ABOUT | hkd-rijeka.hr
Find out more about our ongoing collaboration with the Croatian Cultural Centre, HKD here.

FEILE NA BEALTAINE | COUNTY KERRY
Music & Arts Festival / Féile Ceol & Ealaoin Daingean Uí Chúis
with CREATIVE DANCE TALES workshops led by Olwyn Lyons
SCHOOLS (VENTRY & DINGLE) | 27 & 28 April 2023
PUBLIC (DINGLE) | 29 & 30 April 2023
ABOUT | feilenabealtaine.ie

dlr Primary Arts Programme 2022-23 with Dance Artist Olwyn Lyons and 5th/6th class students
Creative Dance Tales workshops and VR screening
21 March at St Columbanus National School, Loughlinstown Dunlaoghaire Co. Dublin.
The central purpose of the dlr Primary Arts Programme is to facilitate a professional Creative Practitioner to collaborate with a primary school class and teacher to explore creativity in the classroom setting through various artforms. The programme is supported by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, in partnership with Blackrock Education Centre.  

Dance Limerick’s WHAT NEXT 2023
A week long residency at the WHAT NEXT festival that included 2 VR screenings at Belltable, Limerick on 8 February and 8 theatricalised VR screenings of FRANCIS FOOTWORK together with 16 Creative Dance Tales workshops at 3 schools in and around Limerick from 31 January to 10 February.
SCHOOLS | St Joseph’s Ballybrown, Athlacca National School and Knocklong National School

MERMAID ARTS CENTRE| 18 & 25 October 2022 | BALTINGLASS, WICKLOW
VENUE | Scoil Naomh Iosef

CULTURE NIGHT 2022 | 23 September 2022 | DUBLIN
VENUE | CoisCéim Studio, 42 Fairview Strand, Dublin 3
VR SCREENINGS | 6.00 & 7.30pm | FREE

World Premiere | GAP ARTS FESTIVAL | July 2022 | BALLYTHOMAS, WEXFORD 
VENUE | Ballythomas National School 
VR SCREENING | Saturday 30 July 1:00pm 
CREATIVE DANCE TALES Workshop Series | Ages 7-10 |  Thursday 21 July 3:00-4:15pm & Saturday 30 July after the VR screening 

ABOUT OLWYN LYONS | CREATIVE DANCE TALES WORKSHOP LEADER

Olwyn Lyons is a choreographer, dance artist and community dance facilitator who has worked extensively in community settings. She has over 10 years’ experience delivering, developing, directing and facilitating dance arts projects. Since 2019 she has been facilitating Creative Dance Tales workshops.

Olwyn was awarded the Agility Award 2022 Round 2, Arts Council of Ireland and Professional Artist Development Fund from Meath County Council. Both awards will help her further investigate dance and Parkinson’s Disease. She has worked with dlr on their Programme for Carers of people living with Dementia offering dance workshops in libraries across in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and was a selected artist for dlr Primary Arts Programme 2022/23. In 2022 Olwyn was awarded Offaly County Council Youth Dance Commission to develop arts opportunities for young people and is an artist in residence as part of TAP Teacher Artist Partnership with Drumcondra Education Centre and Navan Education Centre.  She was Movement Director for Absent the Wrong, Abbey Theatre, as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival 2022, written by Dylan Coburn Gray with Once Off Productions. Olwyn was Assistant Director of NOISE Moves Youth Dance Festival, South Dublin County Council, 2018- 2021 and is presently co- director of Macushla Dance Club 50+ supported by Dublin City Council, Dance Ireland. Since 2018 she has facilitated Dance Ireland’s Dance for Parkinson’s programme.