Callout for Images and memories of dancing in the city from 1960s and ‘70s

We Danced in Derby part of FORMAT23
Callout for Images and memories of dancing in the city from 1960s and ‘70s 

As part of a new exhibition We Danced in Derby at Déda in Derby, part of this year’s FORMAT International Photography Festival, there is a call out for images from the city’s musical and dancing past.
 
We Danced in Derby is a nostalgic photographic exhibition that captures the experience of ballroom and nightclub culture in the 1960’s and 1970’s. To compliment the exhibition, Déda and FORMAT are seeking photos from the people of Derby of the city’s musical and dancing past, from pictures of friends out on the town in Derby during the ‘60s and ‘70s to parents or grandparents done up to the nines and cutting a dash on the streets of Derby. Added to these, stories of days gone by which are attached to these images.
 
Images can be sent direct by email to Jonny Hill  j.hill@deda.uk.com. People can also come along to Déda, and scan from original prints using a special ‘We Danced In Derby’ scanning booth, which will be in Déda’s Café bar space from 16th March to 29th April.
 
Parmjit Sagoo, FORMAT Producer, said “Do you have some old photos from the 1960s and ‘70’s tucked away in an old tin or envelope or memories, we’d love to hear from you to help us present a celebration of how “We Danced in Derby”. We are excited to see what amazing images from Derby’s historic nightlife are waiting to be revealed!”
 
We Danced in Derby delves into the social history of Derby city in the 1960s and ‘70s through the prism of ballrooms, discos and clubs, the exhibition celebrates how the 1960s changed the way people danced, foregrounding the music that inspired this transformation. Created in collaboration with Roger Smith, a local writer and heritage researcher, it features images of the popular Derby social venues of the time, alongside visual, written and oral history of memories. We Danced in Derby is on display in Déda from 17 March until 9 April 2023.
 
The dance theme continues in the FORMAT exhibition in QUAD Gallery, Radical Souls which includes work by four international artists from Argentina, China and UK whose work traverses dance genres and styles, fed through emotion, culture, sounds and rebellion. Radical Souls is on display in QUAD from Gallery 17 March until 2 July 2023.

We Danced in Derby is the first part of ‘Dancing Through Time: from Pop to Punk in the City of Derby’ an ambitious heritage project that will explore the dance and music culture in Derby from the 1960s to 1970s. The project is a partnership between QUAD and Déda and is generously funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.
 
We Danced in Derby is part of this year’s FORMAT23 International Photography Festival which features exhibitions across Derby including QUAD, Déda, Artcore and the Museum of Making, alongside revitalising repurposed buildings and public places, celebrating work by a worldwide community of artists. For more information please see: www.formatfestival.com

ENDS
Notes to Editors

High Res images available
For Press enquiries please contact: Kathyw@derbyquad.co.uk

FORMAT International Photography Festival was established in 2004 at QUAD and is the UK’s leading international contemporary festival of photography and related media. It organises a year-round programme of international commissions, open calls, residencies, conferences and collaborations in the UK and internationally and welcomes over 100,000 visitors from all over the world to its biennale. The festival programmes celebrate the wealth of contemporary photographic practice and feature everything from major conceptual works, participative projects, documentary photography, mobile phone imagery to the archive and all that falls between. We are concerned with what is happening now in the scene and beyond, whilst sharing and contributing to it. FORMAT is the place to engage with an incredible range of work from new and emerging photographers alongside that of some of the best-known practitioners in the world. FORMAT is organised by QUAD and the University of Derby and is supported by Arts Council England, Derby City Council and multiple partners from the UK and abroad.

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QUAD is an international centre for engagement in contemporary art and film, based in Derby. Its year-round programme focuses on major exhibitions, professional practice for artists, mass participation, commissions, independent film and the creative use of emergent digital technologies. QUAD is a charity focused on intercultural dialogue through supporting diverse audiences to engage, develop skills and contribute to contemporary culture. Year-round, it’s learning, education and participation programmes involve people and communities locally and worldwide in innovative arts programmes. QUAD provides creative participatory and learning opportunities for people in a safe and welcoming environment for visitors and participants. We collaborate and work in partnership with others to deliver activities that make a positive impact on their lives. www.derbyquad.co.uk

Déda is a Centre for Dance, Movement and Creativity based in the heart of the cathedral quarter in Derby, connecting locally, nationally and internationally. Déda has 3 studios, a 124-seat theatre and produces Derby Festé – an annual international outdoor street arts festival. We are a band 2 Arts Council England National Portfolio organisation and a registered charity (1053633). We attract 54,000 visitors to our building each year. www.deda.uk.com