We are flame
Young dancers from across Wigan bring back the fire after lockdown.
‘We’ve got the Fire Within, We are the Future, We Are Flame’
40 emerging young dancers from across Wigan animate the borough and bring to life the Fire Within Manifesto through dance.
Throughout lockdown, young people have been dealt a raw deal and government and the media has become preoccupied with the idea that they will become a ‘lost generation’. We Are Flame challenges this perception and celebrates the talent, passion, creativity and resilience of young people in Wigan who are waiting to step up to the challenge of post pandemic life, not just catch up on what they have missed.
In partnership with Hawk Dance Theatre and funded by Wigan Council, WigLe Dance have produced the new dance film drawing inspiration from the Fire Within Cultural Manifesto and celebrating emerging artistic talent in Wigan that has been restricted, limited and locked away for over a year.
Directed by Josh Hawkins (Hawk Dance Theatre) and produced by Amy Burdon (WigLe Dance CIC) We Are Flame brings together a cast and creative team made up of young people who are all under 30 to collaborate and perform. The film is set to a score composed by Lee Affen and newly commissioned poetry written by local artist Louise Fazackerly. We Are Flame was filmed on location around Wigan, highlighting the boroughs most beautiful green spaces, interesting heritage sites and busy urban areas.
To create the film, WigLe Dance recruited a team of Greater Manchester based professional dancers who have all been significantly impacted by the pandemic to work with and mentor a group of emerging young dancers aged 16-22 who star in the film along with a younger community cast. The film is a unique collaboration between dancers at varying stages of their dance journey, re-connecting and re-finding their passion and love for dance post lockdown.
The film was made following all current government guidance and adhering to social distancing.
We Are Flame is funded and supported by Wigan Council through the Deal for Communities Investment Fund and by Arts Council England.