Tram Bridge Preston - 5 June 2026

This ensemble work traversed the newly rebuilt Tram Bridge, crossing the River Ribble in Avenham Park. The three-day project brought together dancers from North West and London. The 90-minute performance followed a score: a huddle (honouring Simone Forte), followed by ‘move when you need to move, any speed welcome’ and ‘pause when you need to pause, preferably with others’, across the bridge and back.

Performers: Gaby Agis, Adeline Bourret, Gulliver Brodbeck, Andrea Buckley, Bettina Carpi, Carole Edwards, Louise Gibbons, Yuka Hayashi, Helen Rowsell, Ruth Spencer, Nigel Stewart, Robert Suchy.

I was inspired to make this dance after noticing the bridge's construction in autumn 2025, when I was in Preston reconstructing the seminal dance work Shouting Out Loud (SOL). This performance of SOL marked the end of the BA and MA dance degrees and the closing of the Dance Department at UCLan.

Reflecting on this closure, I’d like to dedicate The Bridge performance to all the communities – students, faculty and others – who have lost their dance departments throughout the UK. These include: University of Derby, University of South Wales, University of Plymouth, University of Surrey, University of Winchester, University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), Coventry University, University of Wolverhampton, Arts University Bournemouth, University of Bedfordshire, Leeds Beckett University, Dance City Newcastle and Ulster University.