The words Power of Performance This is Us are at the top of the image, and below there are 3 dancers in Rugby League kits.

A spectacular new outdoor performance brought the atmosphere and passion of the Rugby League out of the stadium and onto the streets.

This specially-commissioned free show, which featured dance, music and aerial performance, told three unique stories about the game and its people, charting how it has evolved from its roots to the sport we see today.

Bringing together passionate fans of sport and art This Is Us celebrated The Power of Together with a central company of professional performers collaborating with a participant cast drawn from the residents of each location.  

Power of Performance: This is Us was in Newcastle, Hull, Leeds and Manchester in October and November 2022.

Power of Performance: This is Us

Power of Performance: This is Us is produced by Pinwheel, directed by Robby Graham / Southpaw Dance Company with Simon Sharkey as writer and artistic advisor.

This production is part of the RLWC21 Cultural Festival which is generously funded with public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England and delivered in partnership with Newcastle City Council, Hull City Council, Leeds 2023, North of Tyne Combined Authority and Libraries Connected.

Two men in rugby league kits in the mud, with mud in the air
A group of men in victorian dress with their fists raised and shouting passionately
A rugby player in a wheelchair holds a rugby ball forward with dancers behind
An aerial dancer in the air holding a rugby ball with purple smoke coming out of it, positioned between rugby goalposts
A woman in rugby league kit holds a smoke grenade in her hand looking forward to the audience with her arms raised to each side
A view of the stage in the distance with City Hall behind it, with a crowd on either side and dancers on the stage
A man in a suit stands at the front, as young men in victorian dress hold old leather rugby balls above their heads in the background
A man in rugby kit holds his hand high in the air in the background, as a BSL interpreter stands in front interpreting the show
A young woman in rugby kit leads a procession of members of the participant cast holding multicoloured umbrellas above their head
A woman is on the balcony above a stage in victorian dress, gesturing towards the men below
A woman in rugby kit walks towards the ramp at one end of the stage, with a rugby ball in hand, as 2 men cheer her on.

Pictures by Tom Arran Commercial Photography