About IDFB
In the spring of 2008, Festival producers DanceXchange and Birmingham Hippodrome delivered the hugely successful inaugural International Dance Festival Birmingham (IDFB). IDFB 2008 generated almost 25,000 audience and participatory experiences. It created a strong new brand and attracted media interest and critical acclaim that raised the profile of Birmingham as an international dance destination.
The success of IDFB 2008 demonstrated real demand for a dance festival of scale and quality, and has paved the way for far greater achievements. IDFB 2010 will be bigger and better – with broader region-wide impact, reaching out across the West Midlands with more public performances and participatory projects, delivering greater economic, social and cultural benefits to the city and region, and reinforcing Birmingham’s positive reputation as a world centre of dance, an attractive visitor destination, and a diverse, vibrant and internationally significant cultural city, at the heart of a dynamic region.
Retaining a strong international focus, IDFB 2010 will celebrate artistic excellence, promote international artistic exchange, and express the youthful, diverse and energetic spirit of Birmingham and the West Midlands. It will animate the city and capture the imagination with a world-class programme that offers outstanding dance from across the globe; specially choreographed commissions; distinctive performances in unusual spaces; large-scale events for mass public participation; discovery and education, through classes and workshops; and a wealth of professional development opportunities for artists.
IDFB 2010 will bring great dance to venues and public spaces across the West Midlands, enabling audiences to see a vast array of stimulating international work that would otherwise be out of reach, and introducing people of all ages to healthy dance activity through exciting participatory events. Through the exceptional range of work on offer, IDFB will connect with the region’s diverse population, inspire local pride and attract visitors to the city. In so doing, IDFB will raise aspirations, benefit the local economy, and enhance the cultural life of the region.
With headline collaborators, star turns, and breathtaking events throughout its four weeks, IDFB is the region’s biggest festival, and already one of the largest dance festivals in the world. Through the outstanding quality of its work and the partnerships that support it, IDFB is the perfect showcase for the rich dance infrastructure of Birmingham and the West Midlands, supporting the West Midlands’ Culture Programme for 2012, and presenting an incredible opportunity to celebrate Birmingham as a world destination for dance.