Viva Brighton Issue #61 March 2018

DANCE
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Photo by Joe Armitage
COAL
Choreographer Gary Clarke
You were born in 1980 in a northern colliery town:
the miner’s strike of 1984-5 hugely affected your
family and community. And then your life was
changed forever when you discovered dance… I
know, it’s Billy Elliot! I get it all the time, it’s fine. I actually
appeared in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, which
the film ends with, so there’s more connection! I was
young, but I’ve got memories of the strike, especially
towards the end. I was raised in Grimethorpe, near
Barnsley; my grandfather and uncles were miners, and
I remember the bitterness, the police presence, cars
being set on fire, riots in the streets. It was loud and
aggressive, with a feeling of desperation. As I grew up,
I saw what happened – the decimation and breakdown
of community. A lot of my friends became criminals
and drug addicts. And I discovered dance.
And you’ve combined all of it with COAL… It’s
been a lifelong ambition. I created the idea in 2009 on
a really small scale, and then put it to bed, as it were.
Then the 30th anniversary seemed like a good time to
restage it, and since then we’ve brought in live music
with a brass band and women from the local community
where we’re appearing. I think it’s wrong to do a
show that’s about community without involving local
people. The women played a massive part in the miner’s
strike, and to highlight that, we have a workshop
for local non-professionals, they spend two days learning
the show, and then they’re in the performance.
They’re not experienced dancers, the women?
It’s better if they don’t have any previous experience.
There’s more authenticity then. We’ve had all
ages from 27–77, all shapes and sizes, and it’s a real
journey. They play a big part in it: we look at the idea
of non-hierarchical structures. Over the years I’ve
worked a lot with marginalized communities. Inclusivity
really matters to me. I grew up surrounded by
people, and I try to bring that into my art, that downto-earth
approach, openness, generosity and empathy.
I don’t want to just surround myself with artists. I’ve
got a responsibility. Am I adding to the world, am I
contributing, am I making a difference?
Who’s in the audience? A lot of ex-miners are coming.
Not just a few, a lot, which is seen as groundbreaking.
Firemen who were on strike in Birmingham came
along, a lot of trades unionists, showing solidarity. I’ve
always been very politically and socially aware. I’m an
openly gay man who grew up in a mining town, which
was tough at times, and being an artist from the working
classes isn’t typical, so it all feeds into what I do. It’s
important to remember that the strike was a pivotal
time in British history, and we’re providing some vital
education. Speak to some kids these days, and they say
‘What’s coal?’ Andy Darling
Brighton Dome, Weds 28th March, 7.30pm
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