Black Victorians is back for its 3rd year of touring this summer thanks to the support of FESTIVAL.ORG. And this year, as well as some UK dates, we have some International dates in Aveiro (Portugal) and Antwerp (Belgium).
We are thrilled to be extending the cast of Black Victorians in Summer 2023 with new dancers Rudzani Moleya and Stefano Addea who will join the original cast on some of the Tour Dates.
2023 TOUR DATES
FRI 14 JUL – SUN 16 JUL – Festival Dos Canais (Portugal)
THURS 27 JUL – SUN 30 JUL – Gratis Festival (Antwerp)
SAT 12 AUG – Kensington + Chelsea Festival (Kensington, London)
FRI 29 SEPT – SUN 1 OCT – Bournemouth Arts By The Sea Festival Bournemouth, Dorset) – More info to come, please check the website.
Watch This Space For More Dates Coming Soon.
Date: Monday 1st May 2023
Location: Thomas Steers Way, Chavasse Park, Liverpool, UK
On 1st May 2023 1,000 volunteers came together to celebrate Eurovision, Ukraine and Liverpool.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE from Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates and local choreographers; Lisi Perry and Grace Goulding invited local communities from across Merseyside and beyond to come together to create a vast human artwork – a giant Ukrainian flag and the iconic Eurovision heart, right in the centre of Liverpool at Chavasse Park documenting an unforgettable moment in Liverpool’s history.
Edward Morgan, Executive Director, and Alison Grist, Broadcast Director from Northern Town Film company, captured this mass spectacle using drones and up close cameras to create a 2-minute film which forms part of EuroFestival – celebrating Liverpool as the host city for Eurovision 2023.
With a specially commissioned soundtrack by DJ Walde, and lyrics by Pete Wylie – the message is bold and simple; by standing together in the heart of Liverpool, we welcome the world to the Eurovision Festival 2023.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates
Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE
Photo credit: David Edwards
Paul Doyle – Co-Choreographer
Kirsten Peters Roebuck – Recruitment Manager
Natasha Khamjani – Show Support
Chloe Robinson – Assistant Dance Artist
Tomo (Christopher) Tomlinson – Movement Assistant
Daz Scott – Jeanefer’s Projects Assistant
Julie Karlsen – LIPA Movement Volunteer
Kathryn McEvilly – Movement Volunteer
Mary Lamb – Design Consultant
Molly Lacey Davies – Design Consultant Assistant
Along with 500 individuals from all over the UK, 22 local groups took part in the film, including:
OOMOO – Open Door Charity
The Choir with No Name Liverpool
Men!Dancing! & 50 Moves
Gods Dance Group (Growing Older Disgracefully)
Daisy Inclusive UK
Anchor Women’s Club
The Hammond Dance School Powered by Hip Hop (UC Crew)
Barbara Johnston Stage School
LIPA 6th Form Dance & Musical Theatre
The Dance Depot Theatre School
Batala Mersey
Merseyside Polonia
Jan Williams Theatre School & Christopher Linzie School of Dance
Gateacre School
Create Dance Wirral
7th Liverpool Boys Brigade and Girls Association
Stagecoach Wilmslow
Natalie Green School of Dance
Off The Ground Youth Theatre
George Ferguson School of Irish Dance
LIPA Core Group
For further information about EuroFestival please visit the EuroFestival website.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates
Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE
The People’s Flag, a brand new, mass participation film, led by Mass Movement Director Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE and local choreographers Lisi Perry and Grace Goulding presents an unforgettable moment in Liverpool’s history with over 1,000 people from local communities coming together to create a unique, warm welcome to all Eurovision-comers in the centre of Liverpool.
For more information visit the EuroFestival website.
If so, we’d love you to join us for this large scale community project, a mass movement film to welcome the world to Liverpool in the run up to Eurovision.
This powerful spectacle will be led by Mass Movement Director Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE with local choreographers Lisi Perry and Grace Goulding. It will be filmed by Northern Town production company.
This opportunity is open to individuals aged 18+
No experience necessary.
Come and get involved!
Applications are now CLOSED.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO APPLIED TO BE PART OF OUR FILM TO WELCOME THE WORLD TO LIVERPOOL IN THE RUN UP TO EUROVISION.
Absolutely not! You just need enthusiasm, community spirit and be available for the rehearsals & filming!
The film will be shown on Culture Liverpool’s digital platforms as part of the Eurovision welcome. Given the scale of the project, it also has the potential to engage national press and/or Eurovision coverage.
No, this is a voluntary project bringing the community together for a very special celebration.
Unfortunately not. Our age range is 11+ to ensure that everyone taking part can meet the demands of the filming day and the logistical requirements of mass movement.
Those aged 11-17 must participate with a Community Group and have appropriate permissions and chaperones.
This is a mass movement film. This involves specific camera equipment and filming logistics such as drones and a cordoned off performance space. There won’t be a live audience for the filming day, but as soon as the film is released you can share it anywhere you like!
Mass movement is a large group of people coming together as an ensemble to move and create imagery. It’s most often seen at opening ceremonies like the Olympics or the Jubilee celebrations.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles MBE was among a cast of contributors appearing in an ITV documentary.
Our Jubilee, an alternative social history of Britain told through the personal stories of Black Britons in the Queen’s Jubilee years was first broadcast on ITV on 16 Oct 2022.
Jeanefer’s involvement in the documentary came about after filmmaker Jason Osborne (recipient of the Netflix Documentary Talent Fund and co-founder of Project Must Entertainment), heard about Jeanefer’s work on The Thank You Dance in this year’s Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
Our Jubilee is told through the prism of the Queen’s Jubilee years and how the experience of being Black and British changed over the 70 years of her reign. The documentary was filmed in 2022 before the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Our Jubilee is available to watch on the ITV Hub.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates and arts organisation Kinetika were commissioned to create a section for the Queens Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant, which was part of an extended Bank Holiday Weekend, took place on Sunday 5th June 2022.
Jeanefer Jean-Charles & Associates and Kinetika presented The Thank You Dance in the Pageant – a visually arresting spectacle made up of over 200 performers drawn from across generations covered in hand-painted silks and holding vibrant flags designed and made by community groups.
Inspiration was taken from Her Majesty to thank key workers and the essential role they have played throughout the pandemic, volunteers who have stepped up with kindness to look after their neighbours and young people who are actively taking responsibility for the future of our planet.
The Thank You Dance as part of The Pageant wound through the streets of Westminster and along The Mall past Buckingham Palace telling the story of these incredible people who have transformed lives through their kindness.
Photo credit: Matt Crossick/PA Wire