NOCTURN John Darvell Collaborators
And They Have Escaped Revelations of Miss White Fractured Landscapes dareyouwatch MÓTUS Festival The Fortress The Boundless Museum Tree of Light A bitter pill nomore
Early Years, KS1 and 2 Further and Higher Education
John Darvell's Berkshire based company NOCTURN creates and delivers experimental contemporary narrative performances drawing on topical social issues.

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NOCTURN

John Darvell’s Berkshire based company NOCTURN creates and delivers experimental contemporary narrative performances drawing on topical social issues.

Using contemporary dance, accessible technology and transmedia storytelling we engage audiences in interactive events, that they might encounter accidentally, in an installation setting or online.

 
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EXPLORE NOCTURN

Take a look at some of our recent projects...

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...And They Have Escaped

Fusing a museum’s collection with dance, technology & projection to explore our fascination with living our lives through our mobile phones.

2016

Nocturn Dance John Darvell. Photo by Mark Douet. C31B8238.jpg

Revelations of Miss White

A contemporary online dance mystery told solely through Miss White’s Facebook profile.

2016

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Fractured Landscapes

Four momentary videos exploring the touching and raging emotions following a tragic personal loss.

2014

“The seamless fusion of dance and digital is beautiful and inspiring.
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— Grant Brisland, Co-Director CORN EXCHANGE & NEW GREENHAM ARTS
 
 

DISCOVER OUR WORKSHOPS

Integrating easy-to-use technology with challenging movement material, NOCTURN workshops are a unique offering in the dance world.

Our workshops place dance in a relevant, topical and contemporary context, asking participants to interrogate and engage in much more than just their dance technique.

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“Our students have been utterly inspired. The piece is so creative and really demonstrates how powerful dance can be.
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— Mrs. Beth Butler, Head of Dance, Theale Green School
 

CARINGLY CUSTOM-MADE

NOCTURN’s workshop programme is as flexible as it is inspiring, tailored to an organisation’s needs.

Participants are seen as active partners, encouraged to contribute creatively to the content and direction of the work.

SKILLFULLY INSTRUCTED

We have a been delivering workshops throughout the south of England for a number of years, with a track record of offering significant value to workshop participants and their schools, organisations and community groups.

 

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News

 
Featured
Sport and PE Premium: Making a song and dance
Sport and PE Premium: Making a song and dance

NOCTURN’s Primary work featured in Headteacher Update, a magazine delivered directly to every primary school headteacher in the UK. 

Dance activities are not the first thing you might think of when it comes to the PE and Sport Premium funding, but it is a popular way of spending the money. Chris Parr takes a look and talks about NOCTURN's different project approaches utilising the funds.

Read the full article at bit.ly/2yqnrwQ 

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Pupils going overboard for Arts Award at the Ilsleys Primary
Pupils going overboard for Arts Award at the Ilsleys Primary

This summer term, year 4, 5 & 6 pupils from the Ilsleys Primary School, collaborating with NOCTURN, explored the history of the ill fated voyage of RMS Titanic.

 

Building on the successes of last year’s Arts Award, the year 4, 5 & 6 pupils were challenged with the more advanced level qualification Arts Award Explore. Working with local dance artist John Darvell from NOCTURN pupils created and choreographed using their ideas and creative skills, as part of their award portfolio, an 8-minute contemporary dance piece around the ship of dreams tragic journey; how the Titanic steerage passengers lived onboard, the final moments before the sinking and what they did to try and survive.

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Summer Dance Programme for Adults NOW BOOKING
Summer Dance Programme for Adults NOW BOOKING

FOR THIS SUMMER WE HAVE AN EXCITING RANGE OF ADULT DANCE WORKSHOPS ON OFFER

Saturday Dance Workshops

Four Saturdays. Four leading dance artists. For adult dancers, of all abilities!

A range of one off weekend workshops, delivered by some of the top professional dancers from across the UK. Artists include Kip Johnson, Sonia Rafferty, Helen Parlor and Luke Birch.

Adult Dance Week

An intensive set of one weekend and evening dance workshops for adults, delivered by John Darvell and special guest teacher Charlie Morrissey, culminating in an evening performance on Friday 3 August!

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Job Opp: Make a difference as our Chair and Trustees
Job Opp: Make a difference as our Chair and Trustees

MAKE YOUR DIFFERENCE AS CHAIR AND TRUSTEES

 

Join the NEW Board of NOCTURN, a contemporary performance company with a social heart and a technological edge. We are seeking a Chair and Trustees with a focus around the South East England area, to be part of our Board. This is a chance to make your mark by nurturing our company to expand its creative impact and reach across the sector. 

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Spring term youth and adult classes now ON SALE!
Spring term youth and adult classes now ON SALE!

We cater for everyone from the complete beginner to those with experience, from teenagers to adults of every age. 

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West Berkshire primary school pupils dance their way to success.
West Berkshire primary school pupils dance their way to success.

West Berkshire primary school pupils dance their way to success.

Over the term pupils from Hampstead Norreys CofE and The Ilsleys Primary School, collaborating with professional dance company NOCTURN, focused their creative skills on what Art means to them. 

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MOVE IT - 12 March 2017
MOVE IT - 12 March 2017

For a second year we are returning to MOVE IT at Excel London (Sunday 12 March).

A fun, energetic and engaging adult class will be led by Artistic Director John Darvell. To book visit www.moveitdance.co.uk

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Bringing life to a museum's collection, NOCTURN's fresh approach!
Bringing life to a museum's collection, NOCTURN's fresh approach!

In summer last year NOCTURN, in partnership with West Berkshire Museum, set about an ambitious educational/community project fusing the museum's collection with NOCTURN’s focus on our obsession for living our lives through our phones.

Take a peek behind the scenes to hear from those involved and watch the dance on film produced, in our two new exciting online films.

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Aprils 'Berkshire Life' magazine; a personal reflection about our adult beginners class
Aprils 'Berkshire Life' magazine; a personal reflection about our adult beginners class

An insightful personal reflection from Nicola Swanborough, in a two page spread, in Aprils 'Berkshire Life' magazine about her experience of our adult beginners class at South Hill Park, Bracknell.

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Our 10 month research & development project draws to a close.

Our Arts Council supported research & development project draws to a close, we can proudly say that NOCTURN has been able to employ... 

29 artists based in the South East; work with over 400 young people, sharing their creations at West Berkshire Museum & South Hill Park; and whole range of other achievements. 

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