NOT many businesses can boost a resident dance company – but one in Leamington now can.
Furniture manufacturer Vitsoe opened its new headquarters and production building on the site of the former Ford Foundry last October.
And the firm has now teamed-up with celebrated Leamington-based dance-circus company Motionhouse to share its naturally lit and ventilated building as a rehearsal space.
Vitsoe – which was founded in Denmark nearly 60 years ago, and which has been based in the UK since 1995 – has a long history of collaborating with artists, designers and educational institutes.
In their new shared space, Motionhouse dancers and Vitsoe staff can now work together, meeting each day to share coffee, lunch and conversation.
The collaboration has been supported by a £377,000 from Arts Council England.
Vitsoe managing director Mark Adams said: “In conceiving our new building, we wanted to create a space that was adaptable and enabled us to explore cultural interactions and connections.
“Experiencing dance can have a powerful, transformative effect and Motionhouse is a creative force whose work is truly breathtaking. Our collaboration brings together creative minds from different disciplines, offering new perspectives that enrich our working lives.”
Louise Richards, executive director at Motionhouse, was equally excited at the collaboration.
She said: “The move to Vitsoe makes an extraordinary difference to how we create and rehearse our work.
“The building is inspiring and a wonderful space to work in. But more than that, Vitsoe’s ethos, the creative community of which we are part, and the partnership we are building together is stimulating, ground breaking and truly visionary.
“We are very much looking forward to this new, shared venture with such a remarkable company. We are extremely grateful to Arts Council England for the financial support they have given us to make this possible.”
Peter Knott, area director of Arts Council England, said creative partnerships were a way to share ideas and discover new ways of working.
He added: “Together, Vitsoe and Motionhouse can inspire and complement each other, blending the best of art and business to form a unique and productive atmosphere where creativity can thrive.”
