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PARTY PIECE – Final Performance

This year, The New Art Gallery Walsall celebrates its 10th birthday. As part of the celebrations, the gallery commissioned artist Lucienne Cole to produce a performance and live event, PARTY PIECE which took place last Saturday 10 April and was extremely suuccessful and attracted many visitors.

PARTY PIECE is described as “a lo-fi theatrical extravaganza inspired by the musical films of Busby Berkeley and Bauhaus Theatre”. The performance was followed by a Tea Dance where everyone joined in and celebrated the gallery’s birthday, dancing together underneath a ceiling of beautiful coloured honeycomb balls installed by Lucienne for the Party exhibition opening. Tea and cake was also served throughout the afternoon.

Lucienne’s project developed out of a residency at the gallery. She has been working with all the participants over several months, attending various dance classes across the borough. The performance featured Tap and Ballet dancers from Walsall Academy of Dance and Birmingham Metropolitan College. Live music was provided by the Senior Citizens’ Swing Band who rehearse regularly at Forest Arts Centre.

Lucienne would like to thank the Walsall Academy of Dance, Birmingham Metropolitan College, Helen Jones, Ioannis Ioannou, Hannah Anderson, Christa Collard, Lorraine Foggin, Charlotte Davies, Senior Citizens Swing Band, Terry and Janet Rushton, Deborah Robinson, Bruno Edwards, Neil Lebeter, Cheryl Jones, Mike Gallagher, Jo Digger, Jeremy Hunt, Kevin Storrar, Kaylee Jenkinson, David Jordan, Babis Alexiadis, Jane Anderson, Zoe Charakinou, The Vine Trust, Forest Arts Centre, Mike Parrott, Chris Wilkinson and Chris Keenan for his amazing photographs, seen below.

Check out some of the event’s highlights. More photos to follow soon….