With our lives so entwined in our homes, we live out the best and worst of ourselves there, and this straddling of public and private is present in the self-hosted performances in the homes of the Collective Commissioners. Through these intimate events a domestic theme is being explored as a place where the personal, the intimate and the risks we all face in our lives sit close to the everyday and the functional.

Over the last year, the Commission Collective has been led through a commissioning process with Dance4 that resulted in Jane Mason being selected to choreograph A Dance At Home.

“A ritual of coffee beans, threading wool into a frame to step into, colour, collections of shells from childhood to Matchbox cars in adulthood, the camping candle, an elaborate hand holding, an invitation to ‘have a look around’, tending the fire, the twig house, sailing, a ‘home’ dance for three, don’t-you-want-me dance, painting large, when someone dies poem, knitting, the miniature theatre, Kris Kristofferson, I see an abandoned place, travel books, the layers and layers in this room, sleeping, the snowdrop story, my son’s boots, little house big house, holding, measuring to get it all in, elephant mountain, knowing everybody in this street, leaving, this is home….”

Jane Mason

Choreographer (March 2014)

The exhibition includes Jane’s writing about her journey through this special commission amongst photographs of objects selected from the homes of the Collective Commissioners captured by award winning Nottinghamshire photographer David Severn.

Guests are advised to take a moment to relax in this home-from-home and listen to the voices of the Collective as they share some words uncovered through their combined experience.

Dance4 Commission Collective

A note from Paul Russ, Dance4’s Artistic Director…

“The collective effort and commitment from individuals who pool resources to support the creation of extraordinary new work”

At Dance4, we believe that dance and performance can provide experiences that change the way we look at ourselves in the world. The Commission Collective is a space where people can come to witness, be challenged, learn and experience; a space where adventure is celebrated.

With an individual contribution, the members of this special Collective become private owners of an innovative choreographic dance performance event.

In addition to the production of new and exciting work, the Collective has a purpose to bring interested people together in social situations, stimulated by live performances and enhanced with great company, food and chat.

This event was part of Nottdance 2015.

For more information on past Nottdance festivals please visit the Nottdance archive.