Latest News

Golden Oldies keeeeeeeeeeeeep dancing!

Golden Oldies keeeeeeeeeeeeep dancing!

A successful bid to the Blackburn with Darwen Arts Council has resulted in a subsidy for the theatre's home grown performing group of older people.  

The self-named, GO's short for 'Golden Oldies' began life as a weekly exercise class for volunteers in partnership with Age Concern, within two years they learned to tap dance, gathered costumes, their own portable PA system and now take their unique brand of entertainment on the road to groups who cannot visit the theatre, community settings and residential homes etc.

The GOs


Mandy Stableford is the groups Artistic Director, she manages the team whose average age is 60+.  She said, 'This is wonderful news. In the past 12 months the group has really come on and it's great to have this recognition.  We worked with BBC Radio Lancashire on a roadshow encouraging other people to have a go at dancing and were seen on BBC North West Tonight.  Since then we have appeared at lots of community wellbeing events organised by the borough council.   We work extremely hard as a group but we always have a laugh so it's good for us emotionally, mentally and physically to have this activity.'

The theatre provides the room hire free of charge for the group and the cost of the dance lessons including tap and belly dancing. The grant of £480 will go towards the cost of a weekly professional choreographer so that they continue to develop and learn new styles.

Well done!