Dundee’s new sporting and arts facility, Showcase The Street’s new premises in Manhattan Works, has been officially opened.
Providing “inspiration, education and enjoyment” and boasting a huge indoor football area along with purpose-built dance studios, the “fantastic” facility was opened with the ceremonial cutting of a ribbon by Lord Provost Bob Duncan.
From working with a small group of girls in Arbroath in 2003, the Showcase the Street charity has now grown to work with more than 3,000 young people across Scotland in community street dance classes stretching from Aberdeenshire to Fife.
The Manhattan Works premises also house the SFA Regional team’s offices while Dundee Football Club’s academy is also part of the set-up.
Addressing the audience, which included Dundee FC managing director John Nelms, left-back Willie Dyer and Showcase the Street volunteer chairman Fergus Storrier, Lord Provost Duncan said he was “blown away” by both the facility and the charity’s work.
Mr Storrier said he was delighted and relieved that the new premises were up and running after a long journey to get the facility open.
Paying tribute to everyone involved in the setting up of the new centre along with the various partners working with the charity, Mr Storrier said it was not just about art and sport, “it’s about activities and changing people’s lifestyles and choices”.
Showcase the Street also runs a hugely successful project in Dundee secondary schools which allows young people who are disengaged with education to be supported back into mainstream learning, using sport, fashion and dance to deliver accredited programmes for 14 to 16-year-olds.
It has also launched a new project called Showcase Futsal which uses a smaller football and derives from South America, which will be used to develop young people through community classes as well as widening activities for youngsters in disadvantaged areas.
Funding of £200,000 was raised through Social Investment Scotland, the Weir Trust and their own fundraising efforts, Mr Storrier said, and he also praised landlords James Keillor Estates for their benevolence towards the charity.