Last night, LCF and Sadler’s Wells came together for the annual Fashion Matters event – to support the next generation of creative talent in fashion and dance through Material Movement – a joint fundraising event hosted over 250 guests including designers, entrepreneurs and key fashion business leaders gathered for an evening celebrating British-educated fashion and dance talent.
The evening featured displays and performances from established and emerging talent in dance and fashion including Botis Seva, Ana Rajcevic, Nafisah Baba, Jo Cope and National Youth Dance Company and a stunning light performance, Mechanical Ballet by Michael Hulls, all produced specially for the occasion by Sadler’s Wells and LCF. Key note speakers included Head of LCF Professor Frances Corner, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sadler’s Wells Alistair Spalding, and UAL Chancellor Grayson Perry.
Professor Frances Corner and Grayson Perry. Photo by Richard Eaton
A Pommery champagne reception kicked off the event, followed by dinner on the famous stage at Sadler’s Wells. Guests had the opportunity to bid for some extra special lots in a live auction, including time with Carlos Acosta, and his new dance company Acosta Danza in their hometown of Havana, Cuba and a tour of the MET’s Costume Institute with Andrew Bolton – Curator in Charge. This year’s silent auction also ran alongside the event where members of the public bid on exclusive items such as a red glitter over-sized Lulu Guinness lips clutch with a personalised embroidered message, a Jenny Packham dress and a Picasso lithograph.
Material Movement: Lee Griffiths and Jo Cope collaboration. Photo by: Richard Eaton
Material Movement offered a unique opportunity to bring together fashion and dance, and raise vital funds to nurture the next generation of creative talent. These young artists, who will shape the future direction of their profession and ensure a lasting legacy for the creative industries in this country, need ongoing support. The creation of vital new scholarships and awards has changed the lives of those who have received them – supporting students who might not otherwise have been able to complete their studies. For Sadler’s Wells, the funds raised from Material Movement will support ongoing initiatives run by the theatre to support artists at different levels of their careers; National Youth Dance Company, Summer University, New Wave Associates and the hip hop career development programme Open Art Surgery.
National Youth Dance Company. Photo by: Richard Eaton
At a time when collaborative unity across the arts is more vital than ever, the partnership with Sadler’s Wells and LCF will become ever closer when they become neighbours in 2022 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford: with Sadler’s Wells opening a mid-scale venue and studio spaces there to complement its Islington home, and LCF unifying all six of its sites onto one for the first time in its history, this new cultural community will provide exciting opportunities for the creative industries and cement London’s position as one of the world’s leading cultural capitals.
BBC Young Dancer 2017, Nafisah Baba inm a dress by event sponsor Reserved. Photo by: Richard Eaton
This year’s event exceeded expectations and all previous years’ totals, guaranteeing invaluable support for those students who most need it. All of the funds will create crucial scholarships and bursaries for students, who might not otherwise be able to afford to study their passion.
- Find out more about Fashion Matters
- Find out more about undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships, bursaries and awards