At Move it 2024 our Essex and Birmingham students united for an exciting cross campus collaboration when they performed together on the main stage.
The students came together on the Friday under the direction of Layla Ellison to perform a piece called The Focus, and again on the Saturday for Big Spender by Emma Rogers.
Choreographer Layla Ellison said of the performance:
“Creating The Focus with the Essex & Birmingham students of Performers College was a very special process for all involved. Being able to join as one in rehearsals over the course of two sessions had its logistic challenges but the group did brilliantly at welcoming & supporting each other. The camaraderie was electric & this I think is invaluable & so important within the arts.
It all rang very true to the meaning of the piece itself, expressing & celebrating how we are all individual but how important it is to join forces as creatives. Showing strength, unity & originality. A wonderful experience”
Student Tate Harrison from our Essex campus performed in The Focus, his third appearance at Move It:
“We’ve been lucky enough to do Move It three times, and every time it’s still been amazing how big an event this is. it’s amazing to share a stage with so many talented people. Working with Layla has been such a great experience.”
Ethan Brenchley, a BA Musical Theatre and Dance student from Essex also talked about how he got involved in Move It, and reflected on the experience:
“It’s so great to experience such a big event and represent what Performers College is all about, and also share it with the world to let people see what our life is like on a daily basis.”
The opportunity to perform was also extended to our Birmingham students, including Layla Brunskill who also performed in The Focus:
“Its just so… I can’t really find the words – wholesome. You can feel everyone giving it 100% and it creates such a fun atmosphere. I did Move It last year, which was amazing, but this year was a whole step up because I’ve learned new things this past year and brought them to the show. I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”
The students also commented on the experience of performing at Move It, and how exciting it was to collaborate with students from across both campuses.
Tate: “It’s been such a great experience getting to perform together, especially because we’ve had a mix of Essex and Birmingham campus – it’s been nice to collaborate, and It’s like one big family has come together to perform at this big event.”
Ethan: “Working with the Birmingham students keeps the vibe fresh in the room. Working with people we don’t see every day brings a fun new energy that we can incorporate into the piece to push it further. it’s something we’re very lucky to experience.”
Layla added:
“Performers College feels like a massive family so collaborating with Essex felt just like seeing our cousins. The Essex students were so welcoming, and we integrated so well into our joint rehearsals. We learned how to very quickly adapt to working with new people and their way of working, which in itself is such a useful skill, but the vibe sharing a stage with our extended family was just so lovely!”
Essex Campus Dean Emma Rogers commented on the collaborative nature of Move It, and having Birmingham and Essex come together for the weekend:
“Move It is a chance for the dance & musical theatre community to come together and celebrate both collaboration and performance in a welcoming and celebratory environment – it was incredible to see the students from the Essex and Birmingham campus come together and learn from inspiring creatives and perform to promote the brilliant things happening at both locations and show potential PC students what Performers College is all about!”
To discover about Performers College, including auditions and how to apply, contact us at [email protected] or book an Open Day on our Events page.
