On Friday 17th February we are hosting the Dream Dance-a-thon to support our Dream Foundation, but also will be in aid of a 12 year old boy, Bailey Sarwa, who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 4. Tragically, after being in remission for almost 7 years following treatment, he has relapsed and there are no options left in this country to treat him. His family need to raise £500,000 to take him to America where he can get treatment to save his life.
We will also be donating part of the proceeds to Project Trust, to fund Mary Mandefield, who is spending her gap year teaching English, dance and drama to children in Namibia – bringing Living the Dream to Africa and inspiring young people that need it.
We need your help!!!! Get sponsored to dance for Bailey and Mary – you will be saving Bailey’s life and making a difference to many more lives.
The Dream Dance-a-thon will have mass group participation, with X Box and Wii games, competitions, dance workshops and much more!!
Living the Dream are producing a showcase with our professional company to raise money for our Dream Foundation on the 2nd and 3rd March 2012 at the Arts Depot Theatre, London.
It will be a powerful dance showcase inspired by Martin Luther King’s speech,
exploring issues young people face including riots, racism, and stereotypes. Features performers from some of the top dance crews and schools in street dance, contemporary, hip-hop, and break dance.
Click here to find out more!
Now with even more products, colour options and merchandise we are proud to launch our first official online shop. We now have Gift Vouchers, so why not treat someone to some classes!
Click here to explore the shop.
Zoe Jackson was invited to meet David Cameron to represent the Virgin Media Pioneers Control Shift Campaign. She asked him "The"Government invest in young people who want to go to University, why not set up a youth investment fund available to those with valid business ideas too?" David Cameron said "I think this is a brilliant idea and we are looking very closely at it."
Zoe on BBC News 5th January 2012.
Click here to read the full article about when Zoe met David Cameron
We are passionate about the role that performing arts can have in raising awareness about social issues. Young people of today are tomorrow's leaders. They bring new perspectives and a new voice to our society but sadly, the negative image of young people in the media creates a gap between us and the adult community. We want to inspire and empower young people to believe in themselves, their futures and their dreams and prove what young people are capable of achieving.
We have launched the Dream Foundation to provide subsidised or free access for young people to performing arts training and performance opportunities who would otherwise not have access through financial hardship.
Find out more and how to donate
Living the Dream's Founder and Managing Director Zoe Jackson finally got to meet Sir Richard Branson! She attended his book launch and was asked to speak about young entrepreneurs, her business and inspiration for young people being tomorrow's leaders. She also helped him lobby MPs at the Houses of Parliament to tell them about the Control Shift campaign and their idea for a Youth Investment Fund.
See Zoe's Storify Blog for her journey, press, photos and quotes!
Zoe was honoured to be a finalist for the Woman of the Future Award for Arts, Media and Culture. She attended a fantastic awards evening with a table sponsored by Virgin Media Pioneers and it was announced that she won! That evening her award was presented to her by Julian Fellowes (writer of Downtown Abbey) and she met Princess Anne.
See Zoe's Storify Blog for her journey, press, photos and quotes!
As part of our Dream Foundation, we have produced a DVD for schools to help tackle bullying.
Living the Dream took a group of young performers to explore the issue of bullying, express their feelings, their identity, fears, pressures and stereotypes.
A final acting piece was performed
to a soundtrack of the young people’s voices wearing Trestle Masks.
We believe it will be an inspiring and powerful teaching aid for schools, particularly as it is produced exclusively by people of the age group at which it is aimed.
Watch highlights of the Voices Within DVD. Click here for more information about how to purchase the Voices Within DVD for your school or arrange a workshop with our Living the Dream young leaders.
Zoe was selected by Virgin Media as one of three young entrepreneurs to launch Richard Branson's Control Shift Campaign, including speaking on a platform, alongisde Vince Cable MP, Secretary of State, about issues facing young entrepreneurs.
See video below of Zoe explaining her business to the audience and making everyone laugh with a glance over to Vince when talking about Government cuts in funding!
To find out more about Virgin Media Pioneers. www.virginmediapioneers.com
Massive well done to all the Living the Dream students that took part in world record breaking dance event. Our dancers took part for 4 hours in a 5 day long silent disco to raise money for Learn Burma. We are so pleased that Ben Hammond broke the record in dancing for 131 hours with only a 5 minute break every hour. Go Ben!! Find out more on www.free2dance.com
Over 70 young people aged 12-25 from the Living the Dream Performing Arts Company showed off their talents in a showcase at the Radlett Centre; expressing themselves through dance, musical theatre and comedy improvisation. The showcase was in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.
Watch a video of highlights from rehearsals and interviews.
Very proud of our Renako McDonald for creating this masterpiece.....and to Benji Photography for amazing filming and editing.
'"If you're going to follow... follow your heart."
Watch the video below
Living the Dream's Zoe Jackson interview Flawless on their 'Chase the Dream' Tour (May 2011)
She asked them about their philosophy: "chase the dream, not the competition" as well as finding out who is luckiest with the ladies!
To find out more about Flawless.
www.flawlessofficial.com
Watch the video below
Living the Dream's Zoe Jackson was a finalist in a competition to meet Richard Branson through youth entrepreneur community Virgin Media Pioneers.
Although she didn't get to meet the man himself, she did get to me the Chief Executive and Head of Entertainment at Virgin Media to tell them her ideas!
To find out more about Virgin Media Pioneers. www.virginmediapioneers.com
Watch Zoe's competition entry and question for Sir Richard.
Living the Dream dancer's performed at the Great Ormond Street Fun Run, and despite the weather, still put a massive smile on peoples faces. Some of our students performed at a special fundraising event for a beautiful 3 year old girl called Liyarna who has a brain tumour.
We are proud to have made a contribution to Great Ormond Street and Liyarna's fund.
Here she is with some of our students.
Living the Dream is proud to announce two of our most talented dancers, Renako McDonald and Nikki Whitley, came second on Sky 1's Got to Dance as contemporary duet 'Alleviate'.
Zoe, Nikki and Renako are all good friends and did their dance degree together at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. Nikki and Renako have been members of Living the Dream for three years and Renako runs workshops in contemporary dance for the company, as well as being one of our main choreographers.
Watch the video of their performances below
Over 60 young people aged 12-25 from the Living the Dream Performing Arts Company showed off their talents in a showcase at the Radlett Centre; expressing themselves through dance, musical theatre and comedy improvisation. The showcase was in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.
Watch a video of highlights from rehearsals and interviews.
On New Year's Eve 2010 over 100 of Living the Dream's young dancers amazed commuters with a Flash Dance performance! The performance was solely choreographed, performed, filmed and produced by young people.
Watch the video below
Living the Dream's Street Dance Crew performed at St Pancras International alongside Alleviate a week before the final of Got to Dance!
Watch the video of the performances below
Living the Dream's Zoe Jackson interviewed the amazing Jonzi D, the mastermind behind Breakin Convention at Sadler's Wells.
For more information www.breakinconvention.com
Watch the video of the interview below.
Living the Dream's Zoe Jackson interview's Simeon Qysea - creator of BirdGang. See highlights of their performance at the Breakin Convention 2011 at Sadler's Wells.
Watch the video of the interview and highlights below
