When Tyneside Cinema asked us to produce their three-tier MOBOs Fringe projects, Dance Off! for the MOBOs mainstage, Beyond the Screen, their partner documentary for Tyneside MOBOs Fringe and their parallel young filmmaker workshops, we couldn’t have been more excited.
“It’s really important for young people to be involved in creative projects like Beyond the Screen. Creativity is such an amazing tool to support young people in engagement with learning, but also it’s really important for young people to work with some of the best artists we have in the North East, and we’ve got so much talent here.” Leila D’Aronville, Managing Director, Northern Roots
In less than 4 weeks, we recruited 7 brilliant North East artists to facilitate this intensive, multi-layered project and bring two films to the MOBO Awards main stage and MOBOs Fringe @Tyneside Cinema.
Azula Bandit, our Choreographer and Lead Dancer in partnership with Northern Roots, choreographed an original dance for the MOBOs track “God Gave Me Feet For Dancing” by Ezra Collective. Working with Creative Director Martin Hylton (Gateway Studios) and Lead Videographer Abdullah Shina Collins, Azula created an instructional video for the young participants featuring in our dance music video to follow.
Kieran Mlambo joined Abudulla Shina Collins as Assistant Videographer on Dance Off! while Tim Goodill of Cassini Films worked with camera operative Amaan Rashid to direct and shoot Beyond the Screen, capturing the excitement, fun and hard work that went into the making of Dance Off! itself.
“I wanted young people from Newcastle and Gateshead to have the chance to engage in something really exciting that’s come to the place in which they live.” Nic Greenan, CEO Custodian, Tyneside Cinema
As the artists prepared their roles, GLOW Newcastle reached out to secondary schools and youth groups across Newcastle and Gateshead. Despite a lead time of only 3 weeks, Heworth Grange School (Gateshead), Walker Riverside Academy (Newcastle), The Soundroom (Gateshead), Newcastle Young Carers, Company of Others (Newcastle) and Newcastle High School for Girls threw themselves into workshops and rehearsals.
We were joined on the project by Kris Deedigan of My Life Productions to facilitate filmmaking workshops in each setting, for young people interested in capturing their own footage with the help of a professional mentor.
Dance Off! performed by + 70 young dancers from the Newcastle and Gateshead, with original choreography by Azula Bandit and music by Ezra Collective, launched at the Tyneside Cinema MOBOs Fringe opening event on 15th February 2025
“Part of what we have been doing with Northern Roots, Tyneside Cinema and GLOW is ensuring chidren have role models who are really positive, joyful, talented creatives in their environments.” Leila D’Aronville, Managing Director, Northern Roots.
Positive role modelling is a powerful theme throughout this project as well as the wider work of GLOW Newcastle and our partners Northern Roots and Tyneside Cinema.
At just under 12 minutes, Beyond the Screen is a short documentary that packs a punch when it comes to the representation of Global Majority and Black creatives in leadership roles in our cultural, creative and education sectors.