London annual international dance festival Dance Umbrella will return this October with live, in-person performances for the first time since 2019 alongside digital events from 8–24 October 2021.
The live programme includes performances from visual artist and theatre-maker Dimitris Papaioannou and Japanese artist Takeshi Matsumoto with a new sensory show for under-5s. There will be a live outdoor work in Bell Square in Hounslow created by performance-maker Ahilan Ratnamohan and a new piece from Dance Umbrella’s Assemble project with West Thames College by Becky Namgauds and tyroneisaacstuart.
At Watermans Arts Centre in Brentford, there will be a double-bill from Dani Harris-Walters and Kesha Raithatha, an International Dance Short Film programme curated by Omari ‘Motion’ Carter and for a live 'dancesploration' of where contemporary dance came from, where it is now and how we got here in DanceStory hosted by Jennifer Irons.
Artistic Director and Chief Executive Freddie Opoku-Addaie said, "this is very much a transitional year for Dance Umbrella. As a freelance creative practitioner, and in my new role as Artistic Director / Chief Executive, I know and see the inequities that have been exacerbated during the past 18 months. Working with its partners, DU has a vital role to play in continuing to widen the offer of diverse work and championing artists to find new ways of working collaboratively.
"The new twin-track programme of live and digital work reflects the festival’s ongoing aspirations, but also indicates a new direction and some fresh perspective, with Dance Umbrella debuts from many independent artists. DU welcomes audiences from across and beyond London to enjoy many different forms of dance and share the excitement in our global city."
Further programming and full digital event schedule to be announced in September.