Wigan Borough Dance Festival bigger and better than ever in 2025

The event, held at the Edge Wigan, brought together schools and community organisations to celebrate this most energetic art form.

It gave dancers, including year three children, the opportunity to perform in front of an audience of nearly 1,000 people.

Amy Hodgson, the lead producer and founding director of festival organisers Wigle Dance, praised the power of the art form.

She said: “I love it because it’s such an honest and raw form of expression and everyone has the ability to dance in some shape or form.”

The festival raised money for the Chance to See Fund, run by charity Curious Minds and band The Lathums, which supports cultural activities in Wigan.

Hodgson highlighted that dance develops skills like resilience, teamwork, interpersonal skills and confidence.

“It helps people find who they are,” she added.

The festival is not competitive and the friendly crowd is made up of parents and dancers.

Hodgson said: “Sometimes they stick their hands out down the aisles as they’re coming off the stage and they’re all high-fiving and cheering each other on. It’s wonderful.

“It’s about coming together to share and it feels like a safe environment.

“Being celebrated, praised and confident are all really important for children to feel.”

The festival had more inclusive elements including a sign language interpreter, quiet spaces and ear defenders.

Hodgson said: “It’s really important to us that it’s an inclusive and friendly event.”

Next year the organisers are considering extending the festival from four to five days due to the number of organisations wanting to take part.

In the months leading up to the event Wigle Dance and Festival Dance staff gave weekly classes to schools that lacked dance teachers, so that they could take part as well.

The festival itself offered industry-style workshops led by professionals who showed young performers unique styles of dance they wouldn’t typically get on their timetable - like tap dancing.

Hodgson added: “It’s a good vibe and these forms of dance can be something hardly anyone in Wigan has tried before.”

Amy said the festival this year was run by Gemma Watkin who has completed university but started with Wigle Dance in high school and has attended most of the Dance Festivals since.

“Now she is running it and performing with her own group.

“To see her progression, confidence, her passion was a highlight for me. She was leading it and that’s so important because it stays relevant to young people and helps the overall festival.”

Hodgson said:“For young people the outcomes of dance are important, especially in the age of social media where young people are exposed to harmful content or bad role models.

“I think dance has the power to counteract a lot of that through self-confidence and positivity.”

And yet fewer people are taking GCSE and BTEC qualifications in dance. She added: “I find it really sad because dance was an outlet for me.

“It was the reason I went to school because I had GCSE dance most days.

“Hopefully the dance festivals will help Wigan schools continue to give a really good dance offering.”

If you wish to contact Owen Peters the photographer you can do so at: https://www.owenpetersphotography.com/