This blog was orginally posted on the Rise Youth Dance website.
This summer, RISE was proud to continue strengthening our connection with our twin city, Hannover, through an international exchange celebrating creativity, community and the power of bringing young people together.
Our partnership began in 2022, when RISE travelled to Germany to create and perform a dance piece celebrating the 75th anniversary of Bristol and Hannover’s twinning. Since then, the relationship has continued to grow, with Hannover dancers visiting Bristol in 2024 and RISE alumni returning to Hannover in October 2025 for a week of research and development setting the foundations and ideas for this summer's exchange.
This summer marked an exciting milestone: our first fully two-way exchange, funded by Cultural Bridge, with RISE Performance Group travelling to Hannover and Hannover dancers visiting Bristol. Both groups worked together to share experiences, explore their cities and create 2 new original pieces of work.
Letters from Home
This year's project was titled Letters from Home, a project exploring the relationships between home,community, memory and identity in both our cities. Through Letters from Home, we wanted to explore these ideas by listening to the people who make up our local communities and discovering how their experiences could inspire movement and creative expression.
In Bristol, our research centred on Lockleaze, gathering perspectives from three community groups: residents at Field House Care Home, children at Filton Avenue Primary School and our adult Movement Mashup dancers. Each group brought a different perspective, shaped by their own experiences, memories and relationships with the places around them to inspire the piece created during the exchange week.
Led by RISE staff member Hannah, who stepped into the role of young leader, the Bristol exchange week brought dancers together to develop choreography inspired by these Letters. Through creative sessions, rehearsals and time exploring Bristol, the group shared ideas, discovered common ground and built connections beyond the dance studio.
The week culminated in a performance at RISE’s first summer show, In Good Company, which celebrated the exchange alongside the achievements of all our RISE groups throughout the year. We were incredibly proud of the dancers’ creativity, hard work and achievements, and amazed by the connection that had grown between the Bristol and Hannover dancers in such a short time.
Continuing the Conversation in Hannover
The exchange continued in Hannover, where Milena who took the role of young leader and Bettina led a creative process inspired by letters from local community groups in Hannover. Exploring the same themes through a different cultural perspective allowed the dancers to discover new stories and interpretations of home and belonging.
Our RISE dancers also had the opportunity to explore Hannover through activities and social time together, giving the Hannover Dancers the chance to share their city and introduce us to their community.
The project culminated in performances at the Eisfabrik Theatre in Hannover, alongside a return to Hannah’s Bristol choreography at a site-specific outdoor festival. Together, the two weeks created a shared creative journey, celebrating the unique perspectives of both cities.
Why Cultural Exchange Matters
For us, this project represents much more than a week of dancing abroad. Twin-city partnerships create opportunities for young people to connect across geographical and cultural boundaries, learn from one another and discover common ground through a shared passion for dance.
International exchanges help dancers develop new skills, build confidence and experience working collaboratively in an unfamiliar environment. Just as importantly, the friendships formed throughout the project were a real highlight, and we hope these connections will continue to grow long after the exchange has ended.
The project also celebrated the development of young leadership. Hannah and Milena, who both took part as dancers in earlier exchanges, stepped into leadership roles to guide the creative process. Their journeys demonstrate the value of giving young artists opportunities to take ownership, share their ideas and inspire others.
Our relationship with Hannover has grown through years of shared projects, visits and creative collaboration. Each exchange builds on the last, strengthening relationships and creating opportunities for future work.
We are incredibly proud of what Letters from Home has achieved: new choreography, shared performances, opportunities for young leaders and lasting connections between Bristol and Hannover.
A huge thank you to all the dancers, community groups, artists, staff and partners who made this project possible. We are especially grateful to the Cultural Bridge for funding the project and to the Bristol-Hannover City Council for their continued support.
As our partnership continues, we look forward to building on these connections and creating more opportunities for young people to learn, grow and connect through dance exchanges.