Dance South West – the regional strategic agency for dance – is working in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council to create and run a multi-million pound state-of-the-art Dance Centre at the Pavilion in Bournemouth.

Due to open in 2010, the Pavilion Dance Centre – measuring 1,249 square metres – will boast dance studios for both professional and public use and a new studio theatre with a capacity of 190 for dance performances. With the largest ballroom in the South of England and a 1,430-seat auditorium both being refurbished, it will create a world-class dance house facility for professional and non-professional dancers alike, as well as dance audiences in the South West.

Bournemouth Borough Council is investing £3,290,000 in the construction and fit-out of the Pavilion Dance Centre. The Council is also committed to providing the Pavilion Dance Centre with £300,000 revenue funding from 2010 to support its running costs. Since the demolition of the Winter Gardens in 2006, Bournemouth Borough Council has been looking to enhance the town’s arts provision, and sees this as the perfect solution.

The Pavilion Dance Centre will be run by Dance South West in partnership with Bournemouth BIC and Pavilion, with Dance South West programming at the small-scale and advising on large-scale promotion, bringing world-class dance to the region. In addition, Dance South West will seek to develop dance artists from the South West through residency opportunities and other professional development support. It is also expected that the Pavilion Dance Centre will be a focal point for festivals and performances.

Funded by Arts Council England, Dance South West works across the region from Cornwall to Gloucestershire. It has a proven track record of bringing together a network of partners to enable people in the South West to make, watch and take part in dance.

The South West has long been acknowledged as a hot-bed for dance activity, with more than 150 companies and independent dance artists making work in the region. The Pavilion Dance Centre will be a beacon for dance creativity and a focal point for supporting and presenting the best the region has to offer.