A BUMPER grant is a step in the right direction for a dance group.
Northern Arts has given performing arts organisation Tees Dance Initiative (TDI) £60,000 to deliver a dance programme targeted on Middlesbrough.
The Arts Council of England received 300 initial inquiries for an Action Research award. Fifty strong applications were submitted, from which six were chosen - Tees Dance Initiative being the only dance organisation representing the North-East.
The group's programme has been tailored to suit three age categories, from nine-year olds to dancers up to 21.
Michelle Sibley, of TDI, said: "We are hoping to extend the scheme in other socially-excluded areas of the Tees Valley to provide opportunities for young people. We will need the support from local businesses and regeneration agencies in the region to achieve our goals."
Mark Mulqueen, of Northern Arts, said: "This is a unique dance project built around professional dance artists, delivering high quality teaching and training to people in Tees Valley. This programme enables dancers to stay in the region and could even produce the next Billy Elliott."
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