Out of Royston Maldoom´s worldwide dance initiatives many ongoing community projects have been established in the „south“. Many of these have resulted in the emergence of professional local and international dance performers, teachers and choreographers.To support and enhance the work of these emerging talents for the benifit of themselves, their communities and the wider dance world ongoing and sustained support is needed. This is especially true where the benefits of the work at local level far outweigh the recources available.

Projects such as the “Adugna Community Dance Initiative” in Ethiopia and the “Danza de la Esperanza” (Dance of Hope) project with working children from very poor communities in Lima/Peru, and the initiavite in Jenin and Ramallah in the West Bank / Palestine – the development of Community Dance needs our support today. Royston welcomes people who share his philosophy and understand the value of this work to get involved in the funding of such projects.

For donations:
Verein Internationales Jugendtanztheater Duiburg e.V.
Verwendungszweck: Maldoom Project Support
Stadtsparkasse Duisburg
BLZ 350 500 00
Konto 219 00 2201
IBAN DE 05 3505 0000 0219 0022 01
BIC DUIS DE 33

All donations will go directly to the dancers and projects!

If you need any receipt of your donation, please name your complete address in the money transfer form. You will receive the receipt by post.


Sincere thanks are given to all donors!


DANZA DE LA ESPERANZA / DANCE OF HOPE

The Project
For 10 years “Danza de la Esperanza” is a continuous international youth and community project in Lima, Peru. Children and teenagers from the poorer districts of lima participating in the project, founded by Royston Maldoom and the director of the Ballet San Marcos, a contemporary dance company under the auspices of the University Mayor de San Marcos (Lima/Peru).

History
The Project “Danza de la Esperanza” started in November 2003, lead by Royston Maldoom in cooperation with San Marcos Ballet and support of the British Council in Lima, Peru. Socially excluded children and young people from the poorest neighborhoods in Lima have been supported and encouraged through ongoing dance projects. The poorest neighborhoods on the fringes of the city of Lima began with dance production of “Sacre du Printemps” in Los Olivos suburb. Royston Maldoom mentored the dancers of the Ballet del Universitario de San Marcos as they delivered to the project over 100 children and juveniles.

The Concept
“Danza De La Esperanza” participants are able to take classes at the company school. At present three participants from the 2003/4 projects are now in full time training, performing alongside the professional company and attending the first university dance degree course in Lima. They are supported by individual European donors. But there are more young people waiting for support.
Today the project runs entirely by professional dancers of the San Marcos Company and ex-members of “Danza de la Esperanza”. Just € 1,500 per year support the dancer for food, travel and dance clothing as well as compensating for income lost to their families for one year. Many of the participating young people live in one-parent households with low paid or no employment. In normal circumstances their children would have to work long hours, often at risk to help and support their family.
All agree that the projects does a great deal to engender self respect for the participating children and new admiration and understanding from their communities. Parents and schools and organisations concerned with their welfare report a change in behavior, increased socialisation, less drug taking and involvement with crime.

Support
The dancers of the San Marcos Company who have been trained and mentored to do this work are very poorly paid and receive no extra financial support for the long hours they donate. The communities themselves have no money although parents and local small organisations always give time and practical help in any way they can. To guarantee the permanent development of the “Danza de la Esperanza” Project in Lima a constant financial support is needed.


ADUGNA Dance Project

The Project
Adugna Dance Company has been on tour already within and outside Ethiopia, performing and working with local communities with street kids, the elderly, disabled, and with women and children with hiv/AIDS.

History
In 1996 100 Ethiopian street kids performed Royston’s choreography to “Carmina Burana”. None of them had ever experienced contemporary dance or classical music before and assumed they were preparing for a sports event or taking part in kind of fitness training in order to get ready for working. Many of the children had spent much of their lives working and surviving on the streets and were at risk.
They also faced continuing official harassment. At the end of the project the kids stood proud and focused on stage, performing in front of nearly 1000 people (many of them other street kids alongside NGOs, foreign ambassadors and other influential members of the public). Despite official opposition to so many street kids gathering in one place and what was perceived at the time as a potentially subversive action there was a very enthusiastic response from the parents and local communities and NGO's working with children and families art risk. In order to respond to the demand for continuation Maldoom and his colleagues decided, with Ethiopian partners and artists to work with 18 of the children and train then as community dance artists, teachers, performers and choreographers. With the support of a local non-government organisation he founded the Adugna Community Dance Initiative.

The Concept
A full time five year long programme in which the children aged between 12 and 15 years received training in Traditional and Contemporary Dance, as well as in music, theater, languages, Ethiopian culture, health and social studies. Together with Mags Byrne and Tammy McLorg the option for a attainment of modules as part of a dance degree course was offered by Middlesex University, London.
Ethiopia is a very poor country and despite the enormous support for their work there is little opportunity for funding to support it and them and to continue the work Adugna Dance Company needs constant back up support from individuals and organisations outside the country. In Europe we take it for granted that artists and arts institutions need to b e subsidised, especially when their work is of such high social value.
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