A series of playful, imaginative and moving dance performances from multi award-winning choreographer Katie Green come to Gainsborough in May.
Dance performance The Imagination Museum: Mayflower 400 will tell the story of the passengers aboard the Mayflower when it made its historic journey from England to America in 1620, many of whom were originally from this area. Three tour guide characters will lead you on a journey through history, using movement, text and music to explore what it was really like for those passengers, their determination, and the extraordinary things it made them do.
The performances in Gainsborough mark the very beginning of Katie Green’s three-year dance/history project following the route around the country that many of the passengers aboard the Mayflower took, from Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, to Hampshire and then to Plymouth. This nationally significant project is getting started here, at Gainsborough United Reformed Church on 11th May, and Gainsborough Old Hall on 25th May.
Lincolnshire-born choreographer Katie Green said: “I am thrilled to be returning to Lincolnshire to respond to such a significant event in the area’s history.
“In general, when people think about the Mayflower, they might think about the ‘Pilgrim Fathers’. However many of the passengers on board were women and children and we are particularly interested in telling their previously untold stories. We want to encourage people to think about what it must have been like for the families on board the ship to leave everything they knew behind, and to think about why they did it — how could they undertake a journey they knew was going to be dangerous? What did they hope they would find in America? In this way it is a timeless story and by talking about it we can think about the small or big journeys we take in our own lives, the impact they have on us, and the lengths to which we’ll go to protect our freedom to be who we are.”
You can catch The Imagination Museum: Mayflower 400 on:
- Saturday 11th May, performances at 11.00am and 2.00pm
Gainsborough United Reformed Church, Church Street, Gainsborough DN21 2JR
In association with West Lindsey’s Churches Festival. Free to attend, but donations welcome; no tickets needed — just turn up on the day - Saturday 25th May, performances at 11.30am and 2.00pm
Gainsborough Old Hall, Parnell Street, DN21 2NB
Standard entry charge to the Old Hall applies, no additional event charge for performances/workshops.
The performances will last about 40 minutes and are suitable for all ages. Join the company after the performances for a free tea or coffee and chat, and dance/craft activities for children and families.
To find out more about how you can get involved in The Imagination Museum: Mayflower 400 project, contact katie@imaginationmuseum.co.uk or visit www.imaginationmuseum.co.uk.
Image © Owen Benson