Last week, I travelled to Barrow-in-Furness alongside The Performance Ensemble’s choreographer, Tamara McLorg, ensemble members Margaret Bending and Alex Elliot, and dancer and choreographer Sara Ramírez, who joined us from Tijuana, Mexico.

Together, we worked with an intergenerational group of performers, aged 12–17 and 60+, to create a 30-minute dance piece inspired by Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead festival. The performance took place in the Banqueting Hall at Barrow Town Hall on Saturday 31 October, as part of a week-long celebration of the festival organised by BarrowFull.

Tamara and Sara have a long history of collaboration, particularly through Tamara’s previous work with young people at risk in Mexico, in partnership with the organisation DanSer. This project was an opportunity for people from different generations to come together through dance, storytelling and performance.

Walking into the rehearsal room at Lakeland House on the first day, the group appeared nervous, and at times a little frantic. Although some of the older and younger participants already knew one another, with grandparents and grandchildren even taking part together, much of the group were meeting for the first time. Over the following seven days, I watched those initial nerves gradually fade and connections and friendships began to form across the generations. People started to laugh, joke and encourage one another, building a sense of trust and camaraderie that extended beyond the rehearsal room and onto the stage.

The group’s sensitivity and openness throughout the creative process was particularly evident. Exploring themes of loss and remembrance required a great deal of trust, and several participants chose to share deeply personal and, at times, heartbreaking stories with the group. These stories became part of the performance, giving the piece an honesty and emotional depth that was incredibly powerful.

Such moments of stillness and reflection sat alongside faster, more energetic dances, filled with smiles, enthusiasm and a wonderful sense of joy. The contrast between these moments felt fitting for a piece celebrating the Day of the Dead, where loss is celebrated in a variety of ways.

One of the most moving moments came towards the end of the performance. The cast gradually filled the space with candles and orange marigold flowers, handmade from crepe paper, a traditional symbol of Día de los Muertos in Mexico. As a song played, with the lyrics, “Life is long and life is tough. But when you love someone, life is not long enough”. It was a beautiful chance for the cast to reflect upon their stories and the friendships that had developed throughout the week. Watching the piece I began to reflect upon my own personal losses, it was a deeply emotional moment.

Although the piece was inspired by Mexican traditions and created in collaboration with Mexican artist Sara, we were conscious of the importance of approaching the festival with respect and authenticity, rather than attempting to replicate traditions that were not our own. Instead, Mexican music, language and cultural influences were woven into the work, allowing the group to explore and celebrate the spirit of Día de los Muertos while bringing their own experiences, stories and interpretations to the piece. The result felt like a genuine celebration of the day of the dead, created by the voices and experiences of the cast performing.

The audience response was incredibly positive, but some of the most meaningful feedback comes from the performers themselves. One participant wrote:

“Many thanks to Tammy, Sara, Alex, Margaret and Izzy. And of course all the cast. Brilliant camaraderie across the different age groups.” Another shared: “Well done everyone!! We are all fabulous and we all work so well as a team!! Thank you everyone it has been a blast!!”. I feel these comments capture the success of the project in bringing people from different generations together to perform, to learn from one another, share their experiences and build meaningful connections.