Ipswich Museum joins national dance pilot

Why it matters: The performances will respond to the Journeys Gallery, one of eight new gallery spaces being created as part of Ipswich Museum's major redevelopment. The museum has been closed since October 2022 and is due to reopen in 2027. Local people will be directly involved in the creative process.

The details: Anatomical, founded in 2014 by choreographer and performer Anna Williams and theatre maker and performer Tom Roden, will work with an intergenerational community cast.

Taking inspiration from local and global stories at the heart of Ipswich Museum's permanent collection, the work will also reflect the cast's personal connections with journeys into and out of the town. It will explore how people, food and animals move around the planet and the stories they leave behind.

The commission is being delivered in partnership with Ipswich Museum and DanceEast.

What they're saying: Councillor Carole Jones, Ipswich Borough Council portfolio holder for planning and museums, said: "The museum's new Journeys Gallery will tell powerful stories about movement, identity and connection, and it is wonderful to see those themes inspiring new artistic work that will engage local people directly in the creative process."

She added: "By collaborating with The Imagination Museum, DanceEast and Anatomical, we can showcase our collections in an imaginative and accessible way, while at the same time creating memorable experiences for participants and audiences alike."

Tom and Anna said: "We enjoy working with community groups whose experiences, memories and perspectives are part of the creative process. Rather than arriving with answers, we create spaces where ideas can be shared, explored and transformed into performance."

For context: Anatomical, the Cambridge-based dance-theatre company is known for making playful, imaginative work for children and families. It has previously worked with organisations including DanceEast and Suffolk Archives.

The bigger picture: The co-commissions are run by The Imagination Museum, a national network connecting dance, community and the heritage sector, which launched in 2019.

• The pilot is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, with further funding from Ipswich Museum, DanceEast, the Horniman Museum and Gardens, Trinity Laban and Made By Katie Green, the network's current managing organisation.
• It aims to test new models of collaboration and inform future partnerships between dance artists, museums, heritage sites and communities across the UK.
• The second commission is in London and sees dance artist Michaela Cisarikova work with the Horniman Museum and Gardens and Trinity Laban, with a performance premiering at the Horniman's Spring Fair on Saturday, 10 April 2027.

Anatomical's performances will premiere in summer 2027.

The bottom line: Ipswich Museum's role in the scheme means local people will help shape new dance performances, drawing on stories from the museum's collection and their own journeys into and out of the town.

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