‘Dancing Through Time: from Pop to Punk in the City of Derby’

New project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund with QUAD and Déda

Dancing Through Time: from Pop to Punk in the City of Derby is an ambitious new heritage project which will explore the social clubs, dance clubs, dance movements and music scenes taking place the city of Derby from the 1960s to the late 1970s. 

QUAD, Derby’s centre for art and film, and Déda, Derby’s Centre for Dance, Movement and Creativity will celebrate this unique social history of Derby places and people in this partnership project generously funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.

From the early 1960s to the late 1970s Britain went through a rapid period of social change. From post-war austerity to the dawn of the Swinging Sixties, the Summer of Love and a more permissive society, to the political unrest, blackouts and the 3-day week of the 1970s. Against this backdrop of change the people of Derby worked hard by day and enjoyed themselves by night in clubs and venues, some now long-gone. 

We Danced in Derby exhibition is the first of a series of projects and exhibitions which aim to engage communities across Derby in cultural heritage, allowing for images, memorabilia and oral history testimonies to be collected and preserved. Further events giving people an opportunity to engage and share will take place in a wide range of communities throughout 2023, resulting in further exhibitions in 2024 celebration events and a website archive.

Dancing Through Time: from Pop to Punk in the City of Derby launches with the exhibition We Danced in Derby at Déda as part of FORMAT23 Festival. Delving into the social history of Derby city in the 1960s and ‘70s through the prism of ballrooms, discos and clubs, We Danced in Derby is a nostalgic exhibition which 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, until 29th April 2023. https://formatfestival.com/event/we-danced-in-derby/ 

Peter Bonnell, QUAD Arts Programme Manager/ FORMAT Festival Director comments: “QUAD is excited to partner with Déda on this ambitious project that will involve a range of different communities in Derby via an important slice of the social and cultural heritage of the city. We are deeply grateful to National Lottery players and The National Lottery Heritage Fund for their generous support for this project.”

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Notes to Editors

For Press enquiries please contact: Kathyw@derbyquad.co.uk or t.jeavons@deda.uk.com 

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 supporting diverse audiences to engage, develop skills and contribute to contemporary culture. QUAD provides creative participatory and learning opportunities for people in a safe and welcoming environment for visitors and participants 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 

FORMAT23 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. FORMAT was established in 2004 and is now the UK’s leading international contemporary festival of photography and related media with a programme of commissions, open calls, residencies, conferences and collaborations in the UK and internationally. https://formatfestival.com/

About The National Lottery Heritage 

Using money raised by the National Lottery, we inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. Since the National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK.  Each week, thanks to National Lottery players, £30 million is raised for good causes across the UK.  www.heritagefund.org.uk  Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund.