Artist Graham Clayton-Chance shares how a film about queer country-western dancing grew into an installation and participatory project, connecting dance, community and neuroscience. Includes a guided encounter with the installation and audience discussion.

Rooted in the film’s themes of liberation and connection through movement, this session blends somatic awareness practices with accessible country-western dance. Explore simple partner dancing through a waltz and a basic four-wall line dance. Co-led by Saz Domville and Graham Clayton-Chance and advised by Manchester Prairie Dogs. No experience needed.

Join professional dancer Mayowa Ogunnaike from Gary Clarke Company’s DETENTION to learn a line dance to The Village by Wrabel — a powerful dance of affirmation and solidarity for LGBTQ+ communities, particularly trans young people. Created by Michael Lynn , the dance blends traditional line dancing with contemporary dance influences. This affirming group dance welcomes everyone, whatever your experience. This workshop is supported by Gary Clarke Company.

Join Graham Clayton-Chance in conversation exploring the explosion of queer country-western and line dance culture across the US and the UK. Graham is joined by Elliott Wilson, whose public health research explores the role of grassroots LGBTQ+ groups such as Manchester Prairie Dogs in building social connection and wellbeing.

Graham Clayton-Chance(he/him) is an artist and filmmaker whose work explores queer histories, biography, and the body, often in collaboration with performance and dance artists. His work has been screened at the Berlin Film Festival (nominated for a Teddy Award), BFI Flare, and the Lincoln Centre, and has recently been acquired by MoMA for its permanent collection.

Saz Domville(they/them) is a therapist, coach, yoga and mindfulness teacher with a background in participatory arts. Their work is rooted in equality, inclusion and social justice, and they are passionate about the power of arts and creativity to build connection, nurture community and transform lives. 

Saz holds a BA in Performing Arts and an MSc in Contemporary Creative Approaches to Counselling and Psychotherapy. They are also a Creative Health Associate with the Arts4Us team at Edge Hill University, where they research the positive impact of arts and creativity on the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

Mayowa Ogunnaike (she/her) is a professional dancer from Gary Clarke Company’s critically acclaimed show DETENTION. Mayowa is a British-Nigerian contemporary dance artist based in Leeds. Her name means ‘brings joy’ and she aims to encourage that sentiment throughout her practice. In 2017 she graduated from Trinity Laban with a first-class honours degree.  After graduating, she joined Phoenix Dance Theatre as an apprentice dancer and has continued to work as a performer for several companies and choreographers including, Uchenna, Ace Dance and Music, Seke Chimuntengwende and Lea Tirabasso. 

Gary Clarke Company create exceptional dance theatre projects which connect, strengthen and inspire communities, participants, audiences and artists. They work with professional artists and working class and marginalised people, forging enduring relationships to ensure authenticity in the telling of our and their stories.

Elliott Wilson is a graduate of University of Manchester’s Master of Public Health programme. During his studies, Elliott focused on community-driven, grassroots interventions aimed at improving communities’ social, mental and physical health. He first became interested in line dancing in September 2024 through the Manchester Prairie Dogs who then became the focus of his dissertation research. He is particularly interested in the role of social capital and intergenerational connection within minority populations, including the LGBTQ+ community.

Manchester Prairie Dogs are a volunteer run non-profit club aimed at the LGBTQ+ Community and its allies who celebrated their 30th Anniversary in 2025. They dance on Tuesday evenings upstairs at The Thompsons Arms on Sackville Street in the Village.