IT is easy to underestimate Yeovil. It doesn’t have the historic buildings and picturesque narrow streets of Frome, the cathedral and medieval beauty of Wells or the ancient history and colourful eccentricity of Glastonbury. What it does have is talent – massive creative talent of all sorts, musical, theatrical, artistic, dance …
The Somerset town that gave the world Christopher Wheeldon, the brilliant choreographer whose works include an unforgettable Alice in Wonderland for the Royal Ballet, is now home to another dance artist, James Bamford, who has a vision for his home town, as he explained to an excited audience at Westlands Entertainment Venue, after a performance of his new work, Things I’ve Never Said, by the young dancers of his Project Dance company.
As in the previous few years, this original show is being performed not only in Yeovil but also at theatres in Birmingham, Bristol and Sevenoaks. And in 2027, last year’s dance production, Busk, will be embarking on a major Arts Council-funded national tour (see below).
Even more exciting are the plans for a permanent home for Project Dance, that will be a base not only for dancers but for other young people and creative groups. The House of Dance will provide rehearsal, workshop and performance spaces and will be “putting Yeovil on the map in a bigger, brighter way,” says James, who founded Project Dance six years ago, when he was still in his mid-teens. The company is “a voice for young people,” he says, “talking about the issues that really matter to young people.”
There will be those who think that an ambitious, creative person like James Bamford should head for a big cultural centre, but he is focused on the place that gave him his start on stage. “I am exactly where I ought to be,” he says.
From childhood – James danced in pantomimes at the Octagon from an early age – he lived for theatre. Now he and his close circle, including his friend, company manager James Derrick, are part of a “revolutionary band of visionaries doing what they were born to do”.
The new show, Things I’ve Never Said, explores the stories we bury, the memories we don’t talk about, the way what we don’t say can shape our lives just as much as the words we do speak. These themes are examined through the stories of a writer, Margot (Sophie Lawson), who is quietly unravelling behind the veneer of publishing success, and Lucy (Isobel Staddon), a cleaner who writes letters that she never sends to the son she had to leave behind. Around them, the heedless, crazy bustle of London goes on, but unexpected contacts and friendships can help hidden stories to come to the surface.
Through dance that is energetic, heart-felt and passionate, the large cast conveys both the impartial crowd and the interlinked stories, highlighting individual dramas and highlights. One indelibly moving section has the dancers in silhouette as waves coming to shore from the ever-moving sea.
The music has been composed by local musician Charles Harrison, who also played violin in the on-stage trio with cellist Dov Trowbridge and guitarist Ollie Coates. The singers are Frankie Griffin and Maisie White.
News of the Arts Council funding for Project Dance came just before Things I’ve Never Said had its premiere in Birmingham. The company has secured almost £50,000 of public funding from the National Lottery, through Arts Council England, to take a new, full-scale production of Busk on tour across England in spring 2027.
The funding represents a major vote of confidence in the creative talent emerging from Yeovil and the surrounding area, while providing a platform for young dancers and artists to take their work to audiences across the country. The ambitious new partnership will see Busk presented at venues across the country between March and April 2027.
The project has been awarded £49,768 from Arts Council England, alongside additional financial support from Yeovil Town Council, Yeovil Without Parish Council, Yeovil Community Arts Association, the Sarah and William Newsom Charitable Trust, Project Dance Charity Foundation, Bamfords Yeovil, Sophie Caruth and David Bernstein, Mia and Peter Zickerman, and Fiona and Keith Pringle, alongside in-kind and partnership support from the Royal Academy of Dance, London Children’s Ballet and Jlee Productions.
Created by James Bamford, Busk has a strong local story. What began as a youth production has now grown into a full-scale professional production. James and composer Harrison are developing their professional creative partnership.
Busk is an important step from grassroots dance into professional production, giving local young dancers and creatives the opportunity to be part of something on a much bigger scale. It is also an important milestone for the Octagon Theatre and Westlands Entertainment Venue, as they continue to support local talent and help bring new work from its grassroots beginnings through to professional stages. Alongside the performances, Busk will also be running 27 fully funded workshops for schools, with 15 taking place in and around Yeovil.
The project will provide opportunities for young local performers to take part in the professional production itself. At two venues, including Westlands, two young local performers will join the professional cast, allowing them to perform alongside professional dancers when the production reaches their home town.
The collaboration also reflects the ambitions of the Octagon Theatre as an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, with a focus on nurturing local talent, developing new work and creating opportunities for artists and communities in Yeovil and Somerset.
James Bamford said: “Busk is incredibly special because it has grown from our work with young dancers into a professional production that we can now take to audiences across the country. To have the support of Arts Council England and our other funders and partners is a huge endorsement of the ambition behind the project.
“What makes it even more meaningful is that so much of the creative story comes back to Yeovil. The relationships, ideas and talent behind Busk have grown here, and we’re incredibly proud to be taking that work beyond Somerset and onto stages across the country.”
Adam Burgan, director of culture at Yeovil Town Council and venues manager at the Octagon and Westlands, said: “Supporting ambitious new work and creating opportunities for local artists and young people is an important part of our vision for the future of the Octagon Theatre and Westlands Entertainment Venue.”
Project Dance is entering an exciting new chapter, demonstrating how grassroots creativity can develop into high-quality professional productions while continuing to create opportunities for local people. Through strengthening its partnership with the Octagon and Westlands, forging new partnerships, investment and a commitment to nurturing emerging talent, Project Dance is strengthening the cultural landscape of Somerset and providing clear pathways from participation to professional careers in the arts.
The Busk national tour dates so far confirmed in this region are: 2nd-3rd March 2027 – Westlands Entertainment Venue, Yeovil, 5th March – The Blakehay Theatre, Weston-super-Mare, 27th March – Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple, 3rd April – Exeter Northcott, and 4th April, Redgrave theatre, Bristol. Additional dates to be announced.
FAC
Photographs by Len Copland.