As we settle into the new year, hear from our CEO, Jennifer Coleman Peers, as she reflects on the past year, everything the company has achieved and all that we have to look forward to in the new year:

“I have heard some convincing arguments that new year should really be in March, when life is reemerging from the chill of winter and the light has returned. Right now, we should all be wintering and taking things slow, rather than charging ahead with new year’s resolutions and long to do lists. With that in mind I wanted to take some time to reflect on the year just gone and look to the year ahead before my diary fills up and I’m swept along by the inevitable tide of 2026.

There is an awful lot to be proud of in terms of what Phoenix achieved in 2025, but it’s hard to look back over the year without also thinking about the context in which we were operating. We live in an era of increasing digitisation, each of us trapped by algorithms in echo chambers that distort debate and further polarise our views. The real-life consequences of that are playing out in communities across the country and around the world. In the UK we have seen a mobilisation of the far right, push back against the rights of trans people, and continued demonisation of immigrants.

The cost-of-living crisis hit hard, and wealth inequality continued to rise. Real household disposable income per capita in the UK reached £460 per week in 2024, the highest on record, yet the poorest fifth of households have experienced zero real income growth for 19 years. Globally, 2025 saw a sustained attack on the democratic norms and institutions that have underpinned the western world since the end of World War II.

We are only a couple of weeks into the new year, and it already feels as though we’ve experienced a year’s worth of news. Talk which once seemed hyperbolic now seems frighteningly close to the mark.

In dark times it is easy to dismiss art as frivolous, but I would argue that it is exactly moments such as these when art becomes essential. Through art we can explore themes, questions, and ideas that by other means would be too divisive or uncomfortable. Art can bring people together and help bridge divides that once seemed insurmountable. It is no coincidence that book burning and cultural propaganda are hallmarks of authoritarian regimes – they understand all too well the power of art to be a catalyst for change.

At Phoenix we take seriously our role in provoking debate and providing representation for those without a platform. That is why we create space for diverse voices and perspectives, why each year we deliver a community engagement programme here in Leeds, and why each year we support more than 8,000 children and young people across the city and beyond.

Across 2025 we:

• Delivered Healthy Holidays camps during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays for 103 children eligible for free school meals, helping to alleviate holiday hunger and isolation.
• Provided 945 children from across the region with opportunities to perform in a professional studio theatre across six Platform events at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, including one dedicated to boys, helping to break down the stigma that still exists in relation to boys and dance.
• Delivered a national tour – Inside Giovanni’s Room – that inspired audiences with its retelling of James Baldwin’s seminal novel, Giovanni’s Room, and its exploration of the book’s themes of love, sexuality, guilt and self-acceptance. The work garnered 5-star reviews and was shortlisted for a Black British Theatre ‘Best Dance Production’ award.
• Provided development opportunities for professional artists through our Phoenix Fridays and Associate Artist programmes and opportunities such as a freelancer networking day, that saw the creation of new work and the codification of a teaching practice.

And so much more.

In everything we do we seek to create opportunities where otherwise there would be barriers. Our aim is for those opportunities to work together to open up pathways for people, whether they are a young person beginning their dance journey, a professional artist, or an audience member.

The impact of our approach should not be underestimated, with one teacher sharing the following feedback after our Community Engagement Programme lecture demonstration at their school in November: “The company really made a lasting impression with their performances, and more than that, their presence with us this morning. My Y10 class were dancing next door after the show, I had a number of teachers come and tell me how brilliant they thought it was.”

It’s this kind of inspiration and representation that can change lives. When the company was founded in 1981 it was a beacon for those who had been marginalised. As one person put it, the company gave people the belief that “you could go from the estate, from your primary school and you could become a world class artist”. As another put it, “…knowing that Phoenix was there, you know. Just like the light at the end of the tunnel that just made you think OK, keep going, keep going, keep going because it is possible”.

As far right sentiment grows in the UK and global majority and immigrant communities face increased hostility and exclusion, we are committed to doing whatever we can to continue to be a beacon today.

Looking to the year ahead, I am excited by what we have planned and know that it is vital that we remain steadfast in our commitment to creating extraordinary dance for the human experience. Upcoming highlights include:

• A national tour of Interplay, a powerful mixed bill showcasing that places creative collaboration at its core, exploring themes of duality and the fusion of distinct artistic voices. Featuring duet and ensemble works, each piece offers a bold and dynamic interplay between contrasting perspectives, celebrating the beauty of shared vision and artistic exchange.
• Appointing our next two Junior Dancers who will join the company later in the year. This programme is designed to support global majority dancers who have graduated within the last year to get their foot firmly on the career ladder.
• Welcoming new schools into our Schools’ Partnership scheme. We work across Primary and Secondary schools across the north of England to support both curricular and extra-curricular delivery. Teachers and pupils work with our experienced Learning & Development team and with our professional company dancers, in fact they will get to see Interplay before it’s official premiere!
• Thanks to Wade’s Charity we will be able to continue to deliver our NO BOUNDS Temple provision, offering weekly classes specifically for boys and providing a space for them to express creativity through movement, build confidence, develop dance skills, and help break down stigmas.

And so much more.

Throughout the year we will continue to look for ways to use our platform and influence to effect change on those issues that impact our communities. We will continually challenge ourselves to do more and reach further, to push the boundaries of our artform at the same time as we honour our past. We face any number of challenges in the delivery of this work, but we will not stop. These may be dark times, but in dark times it is our responsibility to shine a light.”