children stretching
NDCWales Presents

Above and Beyond in Penrhys

Above & Beyond brings together the community of Penrhys with local partners and artists. 

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Funded by: 
  funders

Reviews

“They [the facilitators]do loads for the kids.  They are really, really good.”

“I now volunteer and its helped me tremendously …it really helps me feel well afterwards”

“R is always stuck at home on his Xbox.  But when he knows there is beatboxing or parkour he goes straight up there”

“Some days I don’t go out of the house all week.  We look forwards to Wednesdays when we go to baby group.  It’s the only thing to get us out of the house"

“If we didn’t have Above & Beyond we’d have nothing”

“It’s brought out her confidence. She’s made loads of friends”

“It’s helping [my son] be more himself”

Above & Beyond brings together the community of Penrhys with local partners and artists. 

The mission of Above & Beyond is to share tools and resources with the community of Penrhys through cultural activity, especially with young people.

We aim to amplify local voices and help create a positive future.

We want to contribute to a change in how residents live and express themselves through creativity, using the arts as a tool for self-empowerment and social change.

Above & Beyond is now in its fifth year.
We deliver weekly movement sessions for all ages including Babes & Tots, Movement for Adults, After School clubs and Evening Cafés as well as the Amped Up Academy for young people, a performance group which has been shaped by the things the community love best.


Above & Beyond is led by artists Sandra and Kyle who are on the ground delivering and engaging with the community every week. Sandra Harnisch-Lacey is a Choreographer, Parkour and Dance Artist and Kyle Stead is a Performer, Theatre Maker and Movement Artist based in RCT.

In its five years, Above & Beyond have delivered three residencies in partnership with Sparc Valleys Kids and Ty Cerdd, and three community Fun Days. The annual Fun Days are a celebration of arts for the whole community of Penrhys with performances, food, workshops in dance, theatre, and music and craft activities.

Above and Beyond have also formed a partnership with the Dance Pathways students from Cardiff Met University, where the students have performed and delivered a workshop for the young people; and National Dance Company Wales visit Penrhys regularly for workshop activity and performances in the community and primary school.
The whole community have also enjoyed trips to Cardiff for performances and dance workshops
with free transport.

 

Amped Up Academy

Amped Up Academy is a weekly after-school academy where young people can experience arts their way – the sessions focus on dance, parkour and beat-boxing; all things the participants told us they wanted to learn. The academy attend classes and workshops as well as performing.

Since being set up, the Amped Up Academy have performed at The Sherman Theatre, Soar Chapel, Penygraig, RAFT (Rhondda Cynon Taf Arts Festival) and the National Eisteddfod.

Amped Up Academy also regularly invites Guest Artists such as Beatboxer Dean Yhnell to deliver masterclasses and co-create performances with the young people. Dean has been an inspirational and regular facilitator for the group over the years and we’ve witnessed how parkour and beatboxing fuse really well together and both are popular art forms that the young people enjoy through the programme.

two children performing, dancing and smiling

What's on:

Above & Beyond is based in Penrhys where we deliver free weekly activity for all ages during term times at Llanfair Uniting Church, a welcoming space that is open to all.
Activity is free to attend, and you don’t need to book – just turn up.

Regular activities include:

Babes and Tots: 0-3 years

Wednesdays - 11-12:30pm
Llanfair Uniting Church, Penrhys
Play, song, craft and movement with Sandra

Healthy movement: Open to all adults

Wednesdays - 1:30-2:30pm
Llanfair Uniting Church, Penrhys
An hour for yourself to move, stretch and breathe with Sandra

After school academy: For 7-11 years

Wednesdays - 3:15-4pm
Penrhys Primary School
Join our weekly academy where we enjoy Parkour-Dance and other arts based activities. Open to Penrhys Primary School pupils wanting to learn new skills, make new friends and get creative with Sandra and Kyle.

Evening cafe: Children and young people (7+ years)

Wednesdays – 5.15-7pm
Llanfair Uniting Church Hall
Join us! Together we enjoy Parkour-Dance, often fused with Beatboxing, and sometimes Drama, Singing or other art forms too. Learn how to roll and vault and what a kick drum and high hat is!
Take part in creating a performance piece with Sandra and Kyle, and get ready to rehearse and perform! 

If you have any questions about Above & Beyond, or any of the sessions please don’t hesitate to email maris@ndcwales.co.uk

email us

Gallery
young boy and man in yellow tshirts
young people sat on floor stretching to touch their toes
Group of young people, one boy looking to camera
woman in yellow tshirt blowing a bubble
young girl talking in to mic
young girl doing a drawing
young girl speaking in to mic
sandra has an open expression and shoulder length blonde hair pulled back

Sandra Harnisch-Lacey, Lead Artist and Co-Producer

Sandra Harnisch-Lacey is a choreographer, dance artist, and educator, who has received the Creative Wales Award from the Arts Council of Wales and has lectured in dance in various higher education institutions. 

Her award-winning company Harnisch-Lacey Dance, which has toured across Europe, offers a wide-reaching programme of education and participation projects in schools, universities, and community centres.

She has recently been working as a dance artist for the NHS, working with adults on NHS waiting lists and is currently working with National Dance Company Wales on a long-term social empowerment and social change through the arts project in the community of Penrhys. She was the lead artist on ‘Baby Voice’, a project run by Cwm Taf Morganwg Health Board, where she developed bespoke creative expressions to nurture parent-infant relationships. She also delivers dance sessions for older adults for Re-engage and is a Creative Agent for the Arts Council of Wales.

www.harnischlacey.com

@harnischlacey(Instagram & X ) @Harnisch-Lacey Dance (Facebook)

Photo: Donata Kukyte

Kyle has short ginger hair and a neat but full ginger beard and kind eyes

Kyle Stead (he/him), Lead Artist & Co-Producer

Kyle is a neurodivergent benefit class multidisciplinary artist born in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales.

His practices include but are not limited to performing, theatre making, spoken word, creative producing, media production & facilitating.

He has a high interest in taking real life experiences to create work that offers audiences a raw, gritty and authentic insight into the world that is being created.

Kyle is passionate about creating working environments that are trauma informed. This is important to boldly explore and be brave with creative choices.

He wants to fight the underrepresentation of artists from low socio-economic backgrounds. While also looking at improving working conditions for neurodivergent individuals.

As a school dropout, Kyle is passionate about alternative education. Using the creative industry as a space for discovery, experimentation and celebration.

Kyle was a recipient of the Weston Jerwood Creative Bursary 2020-2022.

www.kylestead.co.uk

@Kyle_Stead (Instagram & X formerly Twitter)

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