The Sticky Dance
by Second Hand Dance

Three dancers’ shimmy through the audience weaving a tapestry of sticky tape in this tactile dance performance for young children. They invite you to tape, stick and groove, to see and feel sound or to be still, watch and listen. Audiences are encouraged to explore freely, choosing how they engage, and turning the rules upside down.

The Sticky Dance is an interactive, engaging and colourful performance installation for children and their families from Second Hand Dance.  

Sat 1 Mar
10am–12pm*
2pm** & 3.15pm**
Crawley College

Free, ticketed

*10am–12pm, for family audiences with children aged 3-5 years old.
For this version of the performance, Book your free tickets here
The Sticky Dance is open for 2 hours for this performance. We recommend you spend approximately 45–60 minutes in the space, although you can choose to stay for longer or less. Please book one of the entrance slots, available every 15 minutes. The first 2 slots have a lower capacity, for children who might prefer a gentler start.

The events we produce are free for audiences and participants and this often means about 20% of the people booked in don’t turn up. This varies event to event but we advise you come along anyway (even if you are on the waiting list or it says the event is sold out) as it’s likely we’ll be able to get you in. We can’t promise but we will try. Join the waitlist for sold out slots here.

**2pm & 3.15pm, adapted for neurodivergent children aged 3-7
For this version of the performance, Book your free tickets here
These performances are much quieter and have been adapted for autistic and/or neurodivergent children aged 3-7 (diagnosed or undiagnosed), lasting 60 minutes. There is a much reduced capacity so the experience can be adapted to the audience’s needs.

Access
If you have any access requirements please get in touch at [email protected]

Is travelling to an event difficult?

Creative Crawley may be able to help with transportation to our events by arranging a taxi for you, providing accessible transportation by mini bus, or offering discounted travel.

If you would like to attend one of our events but getting there is stopping you, please get in contact by emailing [email protected] or calling 07951122157 and we can try to help get you there.

• Children and families choose how they interact with the performers and the space.
• There are no words as part of the performance, but the company may give some instructions or say hello.
• This Visual Story to help your family prepare for the experience can be viewed/downloaded
• The Sticky Dance does not use bright or flashing lights although it does incorporate a soundscape through speakers embedded in the set.
• Some of the structures in the set incorporate technology which translates the music into vibration.
• There is seating in the space including floor cushions and chairs.
• The performance installation is interactive, but you can participate in anyway you feel comfortable; watching, listening, touching, dancing or moving about. You can find your own way to be; and our performers are there to join you, or play alongside you

Co-commissioned by Southbank Centre and The Place, and South East Dance. With support from Stanley Arts and using public funding by Arts Council England.

Part of DaM Fest, Crawley’s Festival of Dance and Movement 2025 running across March and April 2025, powered by our friends at DanceHub CIC.

Part of Creative Playground, a Creative People & Places programme funded by Arts Council England.

Images: Lead image © ZoeManders
Production images © Foteini Christofilopoulou