Darcey Bussell CBE, Tom Daley and David Walliams Announced as Patrons of RE:BOURNE

Darcey Bussell CBE, Tom Daley and David Walliams are today, 1 December 2015, announced as patrons of Matthew Bourne's charity Re:Bourne.

Founded in 2008 Re:Bourne invests in the future of dance and is a crucial mechanism for finding and nurturing the next generation of dancers, choreographers and audiences. The charity has grown significantly in recent years delivering workshops, projects and productions across the UK and around the world.

In 2014 the charity toured a ground-breaking dance-theatre adaptation of William Golding's iconic novel "Lord of the Flies". The production brought together adult dancers from the New Adventures company with young people new to dance in a project never before mounted on the large-scale touring network. The production played to an audience of over 70,000 and engaged over 8,000 young people from the Isle of Skye to the Isle of Scilly.

Re:Bourne's activity continues to grow at exponential rates with new projects and productions planned in the coming years to engage more young people and audiences in dance.

On Friday 27 November 2015 Tom Daley joined Matthew Bourne at the Aquatics Centre in London at UFEST (www.ufestldn.com) to support "TIDAL", a new-work by an all-boys dance group founded by members of the Sadler's Wells "Lord of the Flies" Young Ensemble. This new work was performed in the iconic setting of a drained-out pool in front of hundreds of young dancers and their families. "TIDAL" was choreographed by New Adventures & Re:Bourne Resident Artists Kerry Biggin and Lee Smikle and Shaun Dillon of Dillon Dance.

Matthew Bourne said today: "I am very grateful that Darcey, Tom and David have accepted my invitation to become the first patrons of my charity. They are all inspiring and much loved figures who are undoubted role models for young people in the UK today. Darcey is the most admired dancer of her generation, now known nationally for her role as a judge on "Strictly Come Dancing". Tom is one of the most visible and successful athletes in the country; an Olympic hero who has single handedly put diving on the map and David, as well as being one of the most popular comedians and actors of the last decade, is also the country's top selling children's author. They have all been regular faces at New Adventures performances and I'm now delighted to have their support in the development and growth of my work with Re:Bourne."

James Mackenzie-Blackman, Executive Director of Re:Bourne said today: "Young people tell us that role models are hugely important to inspiring their participation in the arts. We are thrilled that Darcey, Tom and David have agreed to be our patrons and look forward to welcoming them to our projects and productions in the future."

PATRON BIOGRAPHIES

Darcey Bussell CBE

Trained at the Arts Educational School and the Royal Ballet School, Bussell started her professional career at Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet, but after only one year she moved to The Royal Ballet, where she became a principal dancer at just 20 years old in 1989, at that time the youngest person to be made a principal since the company received its royal charter in 1956. Bussell is widely acclaimed as one of the great British ballerinas. During her twenty years as a dancer she won renown for her unique combination of a tall and athletic physique while dancing with soft lyricism. Bussell remained with The Royal Ballet for her whole career, but also performed as a guest artist with many leading companies including NYCB, Baleto della Scala, the Kirov, Hamburg Ballet and the Australian Ballet. She retired from ballet in 2007 but remains very committed to the dance world.

Since 2012 Bussell has been the president of the Royal Academy of Dance. She is the international patron of the Sydney Dance Company, the patron of the Du Boisson Foundation and is the Campaign President of the Birmingham Royal Ballet's fund raising campaign. She is a patron of the International Dance Teachers Association, London's Children's Ballet, Cecchetti UK, Cecchetti Australia, the Dance Proms and the New English Ballet Theatre. She is an ambassador for the giving programme of the New Zealand School of Dance and is on the board of the Margot Fonteyn Foundation.

In 2012 Bussell joined the judging panel of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. She is a patron of the medical charities Sight for All, Borne and the Henry Spink Foundation. She is a gold medal recipient from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She is a recipient of the Carl Alan Award for contributions to dance. In 2015 Bussell launched a dance fitness brand called DDMIX (Diverse Dance Mix), particularly aimed at getting school children to partake in dance fitness.

Tom Daley

Tom Daley is one of the biggest names in world diving and one of the most popular sportsmen in Great Britain, having been named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year three times.

Daley burst on to the scene by winning the European 10m Platform gold as a 13-year old in 2008 then reaching the Olympic final on his debut at Beijing 2008, ultimately finishing seventh. The following season, he became Great Britain's first individual World Championship gold medallist, winning the 10m Platform title in Rome. Daley continued to progress in 2010, scooping double gold for 10m Platform and 10m Synchro at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

It was at the London Olympics where Daley won the hearts of the British public, winning an emotional, last-gasp bronze medal in the 10m Platform event.

After switching to a new coach and training base in 2014, Daley continued to collect international medals, winning silver and bronze on the World Series, before defending his individual Commonwealth 10m Platform title in Glasgow then winning silver in the same event at the European Championships in Berlin.

Tom has won numerous awards including the BBC Teen Awards 'Best British Sports Star' three times. Tom was named in the 2015 Independent's Rainbow List of the top 100 most influential LGBT figures in British life. He is engaged to Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black.

David Walliams

David Walliams is an English comedian, actor, author, television personality and activist.

Walliams was born in Merton, London and educated at Collingwood Boys' School in Wallington, and the Reigate Grammar School in Surrey, where he was a contemporary of Robert Shearman. He studied at the University of Bristol.

From 2003 to 2005 Walliams co-wrote and co-starred in three series of the BBC sketch show Little Britain with Matt Lucas. A successful live stage show of the series, Little Britain Live, was produced in 2006. A number of seasonal and charity specials followed, up to 2009. A spin-off series produced in the USA by HBO, Little Britain USA, aired in 2008.

In November 2006, Walliams won the Pride of Britain Award for "The Most Influential Public Figure" as he raised more than £1.5 million swimming the channel for the Sport Relief charity.

Since 2012 Walliams has been a judge on the ITV talent show Britain's Got Talent. He wrote and starred in two series of the BBC One sitcom Big School, playing the role of chemistry teacher Keith Church. He is well known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the BBC One sketch shows Little Britain, Rock Profile and Come Fly with Me.

Walliams is also a writer of children's books. By the end of 2014, his books had sold over 4 million copies and he has been described as "the fastest growing children's author in the UK".

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