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Canberrans with an interest in dancing, enjoying fun in the city, and simply having a go will have a chance to add a new beat to the city next week, with Canberra Dance Theatre’s (CDT) ‘Playing Up’ – a community FLASH MOB taking place on Saturday 7 December, from 11:00am-12:30pm.

In April of 2019 the City Renewal Authority (CRA) put out the call for creative individuals, groups and organisations who were interested in enriching and enlivening public spaces in Civic, Braddon and Acton, known as the Grant Workshop Program. This opportunity gave varying businesses like CDT a boost to contribute, brainstorm and hold activations to help them in their goal of enriching public spaces within the City Centre Marketing and Improvements Levy (CCMIL) area. Playing Up marks the next series of these exciting activations to take place in the city.

“Whether you’re a professional dancer or believe you have two left feet, Canberra Dance Theatre is encouraging anyone and everyone to take part in Playing Up, while giving locals an opportunity to add a new and exciting flair of fun and colour to Civic,” said Jacqui Simmonds, Artistic Coordinator at CDT.

“The Flash Mob will include an eclectic array of dance styles and elements from hip hop, to disco and aerobics, and is designed to be accessible for all. It’s really all about giving Canberrans an opportunity to easily get down to a beat in the city, all while adding to the city’s community heartbeat, by meeting new people and dancing alongside our fellow Canberrans. Or if you’d prefer to simply cheer our dancers from the sidelines, people are still encouraged to come along and support.

“Although the Flash Mob will certainly end Playing Up with a bang, it’s just one component of a series of ‘moving parts’ that we’ll be activating within the city over this period,” Jacqui continued.

“To celebrate Canberra’s golden generation, GOLD CDT’s senior dancers will also be activating the Latin American Plaza on Wednesday 4th and Thursday the 5th of December. To acknowledge the Plaza’s dual role as a celebration of multiculturalism and a pleasant place to relax in or pass through. These performances have been inspired by what we’ve observed people doing in the Plaza – enjoying the sun, eating lunch, chatting with friends, playing ping pong. We have also been inspired by the artworks in the Plaza – gifted by various Latin American countries to the people of Canberra, particularly Chalchiuhtlicue (the Goddess of Water),” said Jacqui.

CDT is delighted to welcome Jake Kuzma and Ashlee Bye to the creative
team for Playing Up.  Both are Canberra locals and former members of QL2 who have gone interstate and overseas to advance their dance training and are now back in town. Jake will be teaching choreography at a Come and Learn Dance Session on Sunday 1 December, at $15 or $12 for concession.

“Everyone can participate in the come and learn session, flash mob or watch each dance activation as they unfold. We can’t wait to meet everyone joining in on the excitement during Playing Up!”, concluded Jacqui.

For more information, visit the Playing Up Facebook Page https://canberradancetheatre.org/playingup/ or email canberradancetheatre@gmail.com

Media Photo Opportunities/ Events

  • Come and Learn Dance Session – December 1st, 11:30am-1:30pm, at Canberra Dance Theatre. 1 Kingsley St, Canberra ACT. 2601.
  • Latin American Plaza Activations – 4th and 5th December, 12:30pm and 5pm. Latin American Plaza – 38 Childers St, Canberra ACT. 2601.
  • Playing Up FLASH MOB – Saturday 7th December, 11am and 12:30pm. City Centre Merry-go-round, City Walk. Canberra ACT. 2601.

Media Backgrounder

  • City Renewal Authority and the Grant:
  • City Renewal Authority (CRA) has developed the City Precinct Renewal Program as a foundation for their work. Implementation of the program will ensure the renewal of the precinct results in great places that are well-positioned to thrive in a national and global setting.
  • The City Precinct Renewal Program is informed by existing precinct strategies and plans, and further distills these into a detailed plan of action with a 30-year delivery horizon. It outlines the current demographic and development context and sets clear goals with precinct-wide targets based on the government’s policies.
  • One component of CRA’s overarching plan is the Grant Workshop Program which took applications of interest from creative individuals and groups in April of 2019 to help them to better enrich public spaces in the CCMIL City Precinct area. More details can be found here.

For more information, images or to arrange an interview, please contact Jacqui Simmonds at Canberra Dance Theatre on 0438 620 826 or ac8cdt@gmail.com