About

Welcome to Awaken Millfield, a captivating intergenerational project combining street art and dance. Join us on this exhilarating trail brought to you by Sunderland City Council and Bee Enchanted cic, featuring enchanting choreography by Penella Bee and captivating artworks by Frank Styles.

Immerse yourself in the experience by scanning the QR codes adorning the street art. Each code unlocks a different set of moves for you to learn and enjoy.

The creation of Awaken involved a fascinating artistic process. Penella Bee crafted a mesmerizing choreography, consisting of nine distinct sections, filmed against a vibrant green screen. To enhance the visual experience, Paul Trewick skillfully integrated our graphics and DJ Booma contributed captivating music.

Frank Styles took inspiration from the video stills to create stencils of Penella's silhouette. These stencils were then meticulously spray-painted onto metal lamppost signs. Through the addition of latex pours and peels, unique pieces of art emerged. Each artwork was assigned a QR code, linking to dedicated web pages.

Further development of Penella's choreography took place during the "Light Up Workshops" at St. Marks Community Association in Millfield. The workshops explored movement with L.E.D gloves and incorporated mesmerizing light trail photography. Penella also crafted a captivating routine using UV stick spinning, performed by her adult troupe. The exquisite artworks found their homes in Diamond Pocket Park and Burns Park in Millfield.

Our grand launch event featured guided tours of the artworks, allowing participants to scan the QR codes and learn the accompanying dance moves. As the sun set, the family and adult troupes took to the stage, delivering a breathtaking finale performance.

Bee Enchanted cic received invaluable support from a talented team. Vixs Armstrong served as the dance assistant, while Amy Mitchell provided vital producer support and handled promotional distribution. Joy Cutts managed administrative tasks, Fred Hollingsworth handled sound technology, and served as the charismatic emcee, and Paul Trewick skillfully designed the graphics.

Welcome to Awaken Millfield, where generations come together to embrace the power of art and dance. Prepare to be inspired and captivated by this extraordinary journey.

Check out our Awaken Workshops gallery - Photo credit Frank Styles