On 11 March 2021 we rolled out the proverbial red carpet in Aberdeen for the Screen.dance 2021 Festival Launch in partnership with Citymoves Dance Agency to reveal our new Simony Award for Screen Dance. The very first award of its kind, recognising achievements in the field of screen dance went to Simon Fildes– an artist whose work I have been privileged to commission, curate and exhibit since 2001, and most recently contribute to as a fellow curator of Screen.dance Festival since its inception in 2016.
Sadly, on 17 April 2021 aged only 59, Simon died after a brief illness. Determined to take forward Simon’s vast legacy as a daydreamer, artist, curator, educator and mentor we pledged to keep his pioneering spirit alive and continue with both the Simony Award for Screen Dance and Scotland’s festival for dance on screen from its new home in Aberdeen.
On 14 October 2021, together with our Aberdeen partner Citymoves Dance Agency we will launch an hour-long programme entitled There is a Place to celebrate Simon’s cultural legacy through a selection of eight short screen dance works which he directed, co-directed or edited. The programme takes its title from Simon’s all time favourite, ‘breakthrough’ screen dance work There is a Place (2010), which is showing alongside Pace, Moment, The Time it Takes, Six Solos, Trio for a Quartet, Uath Lochans, Coire Ruadh. Join us for the post-screening live conversation with director Katrina McPherson with whom Simon worked for 20 years.
There is a Place is one of the four curated programmes of Scottish short dance films selected to launch at Day 1 of DanceLive 2021 Festival on 14 October 2021, 7pm BST and will continue to stream on demand until 30 October 2021.
Find the programme notes for There is a Place, including details on how to book your front row seat here
For all you wanted to know about Simon in his own words, please go here
