Arts Council England Funds International Tour of The Bull and the Moon

DeNada Dance Theatre is delighted to announce that it has been awarded Arts Council England funding for the international tour of its family production exploring gender diversity, which supports trans young people and their families: The Bull and the Moon.

The touring grant will allow the company to perform the work across England and abroad in a variety of indoor, outdoor and unconventional spaces, as well as to adapt the production, originally created for the outdoors, for studio theatres.

As well as touring, and in accordance with DeNada’s commitment to community engagement and to promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion and representation through the arts, the company will also be creating an accessible digital version of the production. This version will be accompanied by a resource pack for educators, social workers and community practitioners, created with gender and education specialists, offering resources through which to explore the production’s themes of gender diversity and identity.

Anna Alvarez and Dominic Coffey in The Bull and the Moon. Photo by Coverage Studio

The Bull and the Moon, which was originally commissioned by Bradford Producing Hub and DanceXchange, tells the story of Lolo, a little Spanish bull that does not like playing rough and is scared of the big loud bullfights, but, inspired by the dancing Moon, dreams of becoming Lola: a famous flamenco dancing cow instead. Directed by Carlos Pons Guerra and co-choreographed by Pons Guerra and flamenco artist Ana García, with designs by Ryan Laight, musical arrangements by Luke Wilson, and lighting by Barnaby Booth, is a fun, dynamic and endearing production that celebrates anyone who dances to their own tune and offers visibility, support and representation to families with members who identify as trans.

The work was created in 2021 in collaboration with several international charities that support trans young people, amongst them GAMA, the LGBTQ+ Association of the Canary Islands, and Chrysallis, the Spanish Family Association of Trans Young People, who actively collaborated in the creative process and in the creation of our educational resources. DeNada would like to thank theses charities’ ongoing support.

Choreographer and director, Carlos Pons Guerra, says:

“I am beyond excited and very moved by receiving this generous grant from Arts Council England. The Bull and the Moon is a show that’s very close to my heart because I understand the importance of offering representation to young people who identify as gender diverse. Having suffered through bullying and discrimination throughout all of my childhood and adolescence, I think I speak for many of us within the LGBTQ+ community when I say that it is vital to our healthy development for our identities to be positively represented onstage. As it is for young people (and their adults) to receive a coherent, objective education on gender diversity and identity. At DeNada we are very excited to be able to take our message of inclusion to so many different venues across England and abroad, as well as about the people we will engage through our exciting educational opportunities. I therefore want to thank Arts Council England, and all our supporting partners, for making this very important project possible.”

The Bull and the Moon will tour through spring and summer 2023, and we will be announcing tour dates soon. Please watch this space for updates on our tour, as well as upcoming professional opportunities with DeNada, as well as a wide range of educational activities for all age groups.

In the meantime, you can catch The Bull and the Moon this November in the following cities:

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Nov 6, as part of Pink Festival

Santa Cruz de Tenerife: Nov 13, as part of Pink Festival

Liverpool: Nov 20, as part of Homotopia Festival

The Bull and the Moon is produced by Spin Arts and has received further commissioning funds from the Canaria Institute for Cultural Development and the Tenerife Auditorium, as well as support from Kala Sangam, Mind the Gap and the Northern School of Contemporary Dance.