Nadine Senior Legacy Fund

Helping future generations to access dance training of the highest quality, regardless of personal circumstance

Story

Established in memory of Nadine Senior MBE, the late founding Principal of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD), this fund supports talented individuals from unconventional backgrounds during their training at one of the UK's leading centres for dance education.

"Facilitating opportunities for young dancers from non-traditional dance backgrounds was a cause Nadine pioneered and supported throughout her distinguished career. It led to some extraordinarily successful dance careers for many who were encouraged by her vision and trust in their potential... Nadine was a visionary, and held a clear, profound philosophy about the value of the arts and particularly of dance, to the individual and society." - Alison Beckett, Vice Principal 1985-2002

Nadine Senior (1939- 2016) lobbied with great spirit and passion to prove the need for professional dance education in Leeds and founded NSCD in 1985. To this day it remains the only UK conservatoire for contemporary dance outside of London. Students graduate as versatile, well-rounded artists, ready to enter and shape the dance profession and the arts more broadly.

Your generous donation will provide financial assistance for our students from groups currently underrepresented in Higher Education, including those who: have a disability, are from areas of multiple deprivation, are care-leavers, or those from under-represented ethnic groups.

"Nadine knew I had come from a very poor, deprived background and in my final interview, as I sat nervous in my chair, she leaned forward and simply said to me, 'this school is for you'. This will always stay with me. I have a lot to thank Nadine for and I try to carry with me her principals and morals." - Gary Clarke, award-winning British choreographer and NSCD alumnus

Find out more about the Northern School of Contemporary Dance

Images copyright Pete Huggins