Birmingham Hippodrome and its partner DanceXchange picked up an award for achievement in dance at the annual UK Theatre awards.
The organisations were recognised for the International Dance Festival Birmingham 2014 (IDFB) and its “bold, extensive programming and presentation”.
Accepting the award, Stuart Griffiths, Birmingham Hippodrome’s chief executive and IDFB co-director, said, “We’re absolutely thrilled to receive this award. This truly is a festival with an international reach, securing the involvement of some of the world’s most prominent dance companies which has helped to establish Birmingham as a major cultural player within the UK.”
David Massingham, DanceXchange artistic director and IDFB co-director, added, “Over four festivals, IDFB has become known for the sheer diversity of amazing dance performances from across the world presented in very different venues and unusual or outdoor spaces across the city of Birmingham.”
Since it started in 2008, more than 172,000 people have enjoyed 164 performances in venues and spaces across the city including the Town Hall, Symphony Hall, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham REP, Birmingham Hippodrome and the Patrick Centre.
Productions which started life at IDFB have gone on to tour the world, such as the 2012 festival hit show Spill which featured in festivals from Dublin to Sydney through to New York, with more than 28,000 people seeing 139 performances in 51 parks.
The next International Dance Festival Birmingham will take place in spring 2016.