Helping up-and-coming dancers develop their talent has been a long-time goal for the Suddenly Dance Theatre Society — and the Victoria Foundation has been a key to reaching it.
David Ferguson, who co-directs the society with Miles Lowry, said it was started in 1992 at a time in the city when there really wasn’t anyone producing dance events.
He said the foundation has been a big supporter, and in particular has helped with funds for the group’s Fountain of Youth program.
The program, operating since 2007, has an important function, he said.
“It’s basically to support dance artists under the age of 26 to build new and diverse choreographic voices,” Ferguson said. “It’s getting the new generation creatively active.”
Funding from the foundation has typically come at points where the society was looking to expand the program, he said.
“What’s amazing about the Victoria Foundation is they’re one of the easiest and most relatable funders to work with,” he said. “They have that mantra: Connecting people who care with causes that matter. I really think they hit the nail on the head with that.”
Ferguson said that the foundation seems to understand the challenges faced by non-profits like the Suddenly Dance Theatre Society.
Grants from the foundation have ranged from about $18,000 to $30,000, he said.
Other funders have included the Canada Council for the Arts, the B.C. Arts Council and the Capital Regional District.
The society puts on up to four productions a year, and has performed in just about every local venue during its long history, Ferguson said.
He said he was in his late teens when he helped establish the group.
He could have gone to Toronto to pursue his dance aspirations, he said, but decided to stay where his family and friends were.
“Victoria deserved to have a contemporary dance company,” Ferguson said.
While the group has staged many productions featuring other people’s works “we are a creative company at our base,” he said.
“Making art is our focus.”
Most recently, the society has been collaborating with dancers in South Korea on producing a film.
“We’ve been making dance films that have been shown around the world at film festivals,” Ferguson said. “Some of our films have been shown on television in Canada.”
The films are a way of getting the group’s work seen more broadly, he said.
Ferguson said that the Victoria Foundation is helping with the film work, as well, with money it has provided being put toward the purchase of a video projector.
He said the projector will provide an opportunity to show performances outside on the street, for example.
Reaching people like that in new locations is a positive step, Ferguson said.
The plan is to do that with Fountain of Youth program offerings, he said.
“It gives young people a way of interacting with the city and be seen immediately, which is very appealing.”
