Our Learning and Development team is committed to creating meaningful experiences that inspire children and young people, opening doors to the arts across Leeds and beyond. As we look ahead to the next academic year, we’re taking a moment to reflect on some of the incredible achievements of the young people we have worked with this summer term.

Phoenix Youth Academy

Across all of our cohorts, students have spent the year developing their dance skills, building confidence and growing as performers. Working alongside our company dancers, they created original choreography as well as restaging Matter of Fact by Artistic Director Marcus Jarrell Willis, which was then performed at this year’s Summer Dance Platform.

Our Leeds Seniors also enjoyed two exciting opportunities in July, performing on national stages at One Dance UK’s U.Dance Festival and Sadler’s Wells’ Making Moves. These performances were a significant milestone for Phoenix Youth Academy and reflected the dedication, talent and ambition of our young dancers. The cohort performed ‘If This Line were a Curve’ by Jess Yeo, which was highlighted in the Live Review London’s article:

“The standout performance comes from Phoenix Youth Academy Seniors from Leeds. If This Line Were a Curve combines tightly structured choreography with moments of thrilling freedom, creating a constantly shifting dialogue between control and release.” (Live Review London)

Windrush Project 2026

This year, we worked with 11 local schools and colleges to explore the impact and lasting legacy of the Windrush generation. Participants attended weekly dance sessions with our artists, alongside dedicated history workshops led by Khadijah Ibrahiim and Melody Walker, and music workshops with Cleve Freckleton.

Across eight weeks, participants developed new skills and created original choreography inspired by their learning. The project ended in two evenings at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, where each group peformed and shared their work with family, friends and supporters. Accompanied by music tracing the influence of Black British music, from Jamaican reggae and ska to contemporary UK dance music, the performances celebrated the powerful connections between history, music and movement.

Illuminate Dance

Our Illuminate groups have had a busy and memorable academic year. With our Illuminate Youth performing at Expressions, Yorkshire’s only inclusive dance festival. The group showcased new work alongside other inclusive dance groups from across the UK, with the festival providing a valuable opportunity to celebrate inclusive dance, connect with other artists and perform to new audiences.

This month we joined the celebrations for Disability Pride Month, partnering with Leeds Youth Voice and other local dance organisations to perform at Leeds Kirkgate Market. Our young people shared their work in one of the city’s busiest public spaces, celebrating diversity in the dance world, challenging perceptions and showcasing their creativity to the wider community.

Celebrating the End of the Academic Year

We rounded off the academic year with our annual Summer Dance Platform. Across two evenings, 18 groups that had worked with us throughout the year performed on stage, celebrating months of creativity, commitment and achievement. As many of our young people prepare to move on to secondary school, graduate from Phoenix Youth Academy or take the next step in their dance journey, we’re incredibly proud of everything they have accomplished.

With plenty of opportunities to get involved this autumn and beyond, we’ll be welcoming even more young people onto our provisions.

Visit our Get Involved page to explore our classes