Dance and Movement Workshops with Autin Dance Theatre

Want to perform at Basingstoke Festival?

Join over 100 performers in Autin Dance Theatre’s exciting new production, Up in the Sky!

No dance experience? No problem! Head along to the open creative workshop with Autin Dance Theatre to learn the choreography and be part of something spectacular.

Wednesday 18 June 2025
7pm to 8.30pm
Proteus Creation Space, Basingstoke, Council Road, Basingstoke RG21 3DH

Everyone is welcome of any age, whether you are 8 or 80. This is your chance to shine!

As part of the Basingstoke Festival Parade, participants will dance through the streets before coming together for a powerful group performance under Autin Dance Theatre’s Giant Aerial Rig, just before the company’s main show ‘Up in the Sky’.

Workshop Highlights:

• Accessible and inclusive mass movement techniques
• Body percussion and clapping rhythms
• Object manipulation with silk scarves
• Upper-body gestures symbolising unity and support
• Themes of migration, resilience, hope, and community

This is an unmissable opportunity for people to participated in a community event, move together, celebrate diversity, and bring energy to the festival!

The performance will take place as part of the opening evening of the Basingstoke Festival on Friday 20 June at the Amphitheatre at Festival Place in Basingstoke. Autin Dance festival are once again premiering their work in Basingstoke, previously bringing Parade the Giant wheel and Eko in Out of the Deep Blue (pictured below)

About Autin Dance Theatre
Autin Dance Theatre is an independent arts organisation established in Birmingham in 2013. Under the helm of Director/Choreographer Johnny Autin, the Company produces innovative and aspirational artistic performances and provides extensive learning and participation programmes in the community. They work with exceptional local and national dance artists to deliver work across the UK and beyond.

All workshop leaders hold clear enhanced DBS checked and public liability insurances. Their practitioners are fully trained and experienced in delivering workshops suitable for people of all ages and abilities.

Johnny Autin (Artistic Director)
Johnny is an established International Dance Artist and award-winning Choreographer based in Birmingham (UK). Originally from France, he has collaborated with creatives and companies throughout Europe, as well as touring work worldwide. As a dance maker, he is regularly commissioned by organisations and universities to create new work with professionals and vocational students, and he has over 20 years of experience as a workshop leader and educator. He is the founder and Creative Director of Autin Dance Theatre (est. 2013).

More recently, he developed and created the touring sensation ‘Out of the Deep Blue’ featuring 13-foot Sea Giant Puppet Eko and also ‘Parade – The Giant Wheel’.  Johnny is a dedicated trustee on the board of Dancefest (Worcester), and Associate Artist at Midlands Arts Centre. He believes in dance as an agent for positive social change. His choreographic process is often influenced by socio-political statements and engaged towards positive, empowering and inspiring artistic experiences to audiences.

Natasha Boyes (Education Coordinator)
Natasha is a UK-based circus and dance artist with a strong foundation in Rhythmic Gymnastics. Competing at an elite level for 10 years, she also performed nationally and internationally.

She trained in Contemporary Circus and Physical Theatre at Circomedia, specialising in aerial straps, solo and duo acrobatics, and dance. Since graduating, Natasha has primarily worked in outdoor arts, collaborating with companies such as Citrus Arts (2023), Full Tilt Aerial (2022), Bassline Circus (2022), and Above and Beyond (2022). Currently, Natasha is the Education Coordinator at Autin Dance Theatre, where she leads and develops educational outreach projects. Passionate about inclusivity, she strives to create environments where all participants feel valued and supported—whether in teaching, performance, or creative projects. Alongside her artistic work, she is also a freelance social media manager and press officer for extreme sports teams.

More information about the company can be found on the website www.autindt.co.uk or on social media pages @AutinDT.

We’re taking the festival ‘Out and About’ on the road again. Expect pop-up performances and magical moments not just in the town centre, but tucked away in parks, villages, and unexpected places across the borough. Keep your curiosity switched on. 

Out and About performances will take place on the Festival Sundays:

Sunday 22 June
Sunday 29 June
Sunday 6 July 

Farm Yard Circus is coming to Beggarwood Park
Sunday 22 June at 11am and 2pm
Click here for Farm Yard Circus programme information

Caspian’s Storm is coming to Chineham Park Splash Pad, Popley
Sunday 22 June at 11am, 1pm and 3pm
Click here for Caspian’s Storm programme information

Twelve Hours is coming to Kempshott, The Walled Garden
Sunday 22 June at 2pm and 4.30pm
Click here for Twelve Hours programme and ticket booking information

The Whale is coming to Oakridge Hall for All
Sunday 29 June from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm
Click here for The Whale programme information

Now I am become d/deaf is coming to Bishop’s Green ,Outside Bishop’s Green Village Hall
Saturday 29 June at 11am and 1pm
Click here for Now I am become d/deaf programme information

The Urban Picnic is coming to Penwood, Outside Woodlands Stores 
Sunday 29 June at 12noon and 2pm
Click here for The Urban Picnic programme information

Noisy Noise Noise is coming to Tadley Library
Sunday 6 July between 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm
Click here for Noisy Noise Noise programme information

DIG! is coming to Tadley Library
Sunday 6 July at 10.30am and 1.30pm
Click here for DIG! programme information

Bee-ology is coming to Russell Howard Park
Sunday 6 July at 12pm and 2pm
Click here for Bee-ology programme information

The Out and About performances are part of the full Basingstoke Festival outdoor arts programme.

Click the link below to view full the programme and plan your Festival weekends:
Basingstoke Festival outdoor arts programme.

We are in full swing behind the scenes getting everything ready for this year’s Basingstoke Festival. It’s going to be a summer of creativity and celebration as Basingstoke Festival returns for its fourteenth year! Perhaps you’ve noticed some of our social media teasers and tasters, well here’s a little more about some of the things we have in store for you.

You will find shows popping up in Basingstoke town centre and across the borough over three weekends. We work hard to keep much of the programme free and as varied as possible for all ages to find something to enjoy. This year’s programme is no different – there is circus, dance, acrobatics, street theatre and more, it’s weird, wacky and wonderful!

New for this year’s programme only, the fantastic NoFit State will be pitching up their Big Top Tent in War Memorial Park with their award-winning large-scale circus spectacular SABOTAGE for 10 whole days throughout the festival, from Friday 20 to Sunday 29 June 2025. These performances are ticketed and can be booked at: https://www.nofitstate.org/shows/sabotage-basingstoke/

Also new for this year, pop into the Basingstoke Festival Eco-zone. This year’s festival supports a summer of all things green as we try to do our bit for the climate, highlighting issues through new shows by local artists Scratchbuilt Productions and Junk Jodie.

Autin Dance Theatre return with their brand-new experience ‘Up in the Sky!’ A unique show blending aerial dance, dynamic storytelling, and flying props to captivate audiences of all ages. A breathtaking performance not to be missed, exploring themes of resilience and hope. Witness dynamic aerial choreography and captivating storytelling on a striking seven-metre truss structure in the heart of our town centre.  The team who brought you Eko the Giant puppet in Out of the Deep Blue and the giant Wheel that travelled through the Top of the Town in Parade:The Giant Wheel, this new show will see over 200 young people join in the opening performance.

Other returning festival favourites include:

• Tit for Tat who had us on a mission to protect literature during last year’s festival
• Simple Cypher who performed their feel-good, family-friendly show Roll Model at Eastrop Park in 2023
• LAStheatre who had us clapping our pans in 2022 at Rascally Diner

This year keep an eye out for debut performances from Harvey Juggling, Chad Taylor Dance and Farm Yard Circus.

Alongside national and international acts, we are incredibly proud to support local artists, home-grown in Basingstoke and Deane.

• Join Scratchbuilt Productions, Becky Kitter and over 500 young people from across Basingstoke in a colourful spectacular of movement and sound as they celebrate all things nature and the environment at the festival opening parade.
• Junk Jodie will be premiering her new show BEE Insect-AZING
• Basingstoke Heritage Society, Debbie Reavell will lead a historic walking tour focussing on one of our more famous residents, Jane Austen.

We’re also continuing to take the festival beyond the town centre – so get ready to explore pop-up performances and surprise encounters in parks, villages and public spaces you might not expect.

The full programme is coming very soon. So, get the dates in your diary, tell your family, remind your mates, and maybe even invite someone who’s never experienced the festival magic before.  Let’s make this summer one to remember!

We can’t wait to see you out there!

Basingstoke Festival May 2025

Basingstoke Festival is part of Without Walls, a network of organisations bringing innovative outdoor arts to towns and cities across England. Find out more on withoutwalls.uk.com.

Start your summer with Basingstoke’s award-winning free annual celebration of art, culture, heritage, community and outdoor arts. Join us over three weekends from Friday 20 June to Sunday 6 July as we fill the streets with creativity and energy. Performances will pop-up in Basingstoke town centre and other locations across the borough and will be free to watch.

Immerse yourself in the magic of live performances, whether you want to pack up a picnic and enjoy a whole day of entertainment or pop by for a performance or two, join us to discover new artists and celebrate the creative spirit of Basingstoke.

The opening parade will set the scene of this year’s festival with a green, sustainability and inclusivity theme. Pop by an ‘eco-zone’, alongside a programme of new acts and some familiar Festival favourites who will explore environmental and nature themes in their shows. Expect performances ‘blooming’ with fun, energy and the weird, the wacky and the wonderful.

Basingstoke Festival brings together the best of Basingstoke’s local talent alongside national artists who have performed across the globe. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, entertainment, or simply a captivating experience, Basingstoke Festival promises something for the most inquisitive minds with large scale installations, street theatre, circus, dance and other activities to take part in.

Get ready for an unforgettable experience. Can’t wait? Neither can we! Keep an eye on the Basingstoke Festival social channels and www.BasingstokeFestival.co.uk for programme announcements coming very soon….

Basingstoke Festival April 2025