We’ve been nominated and now we need your help…
Our new ballet Gentleman Jack, touring in 2026, has been shortlisted for the Fedora 2025 Van Cleef & Arpels Dance Prize for innovation, which celebrates and supports the creation of productions that reimagine dance for the 21st Century.
As part of our nomination, Fedora is helping us run a crowdfunding campaign, to raise over £10,000 to kick start the production’s creation. Can you help?
Gentleman Jack tells the story of Yorkshire icon Anne Lister, a fascinating 19th century figure who lived, dressed and loved as she desired. Anne’s life has inspired biographies, novels and even a hit BBC/HBO series, but we will be the first to tell her story through dance.
We need your help to do what we do best here at Northern Ballet and transform the tale of this incredible figure of Northern history into a ballet for audiences across the UK.
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Find out more
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Gentleman Jack will open in Leeds in spring 2026 before touring to Sheffield, Nottingham, Salford, London and Norwich. Our award-winning creative team will include Sally Wainwright, Gentleman Jack; series showrunner, choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (Frida and Coco Chanel, the life of a fashion icon) and New Zealand-based composer Claire Cowan, (Cinderella, Royal New Zealand Ballet) who will create a new score for the production. Following its UK tour, it will be performed in Helsinki by our partners, Finnish National Opera & Ballet.
Alongside the new ballet, our Learning team will be launching an extensive school education programme, which will explore themes of identity, allyship and compassion. By supporting young people to challenge prejudice, celebrate diversity and express themselves, we hope to make a lasting impact both on and off stage.
Make a Donation
Amount: £25
£
Copyright
Crowdfunding Results
Thank you!
A huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far! We have now exceeded our original match funding target, but we still need your help to kickstart the creation of Gentleman Jack, and each and every donation we receive will go towards making this exciting new work.
Target: £11,000
105% Funded
£11,555.96 Raised
115 Donations
Northern Ballet will receive 100% of every donation made via northernballet.com
Totals may differ with the Fedora webpage due to a delay in reporting
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Other ways to donate
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Cheque
Please make cheques payable to 'Northern Ballet Limited'
And send to:
Gentleman Jack appeal
Northern Ballet,
2 St. Cecilia Street,
Quarry Hill,
Leeds
LS2 7PABACS
Please contact the Development team for more details at development@northernballet.com
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How your donation can help
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£15 could buy one pair of ballet flats
£40 could equip one of our dancers with a pair of pointe shoes
£150 could fund a scenic artist or carpenter for a day to help create the new set
£700 could create and deliver learning initiatives including touch tours and a school workshop
£1,000 would fund the materials required to create a costume fit for the iconic Anne Lister
£3,000 would fund the creation of a major piece of the Gentleman Jack set
£4,000 would help to fund the costs of performing with live music throughout our tour
Rewards
For £100 or more
Receive a bespoke signed Gentleman Jack postcard
For £500 or more
Receive a credit in Northern Ballet's production programmes and on our website amongst our Founder Supporters listing
For £1,000 or more
Join a special rehearsal and insight event where you will see the production coming to life, and receive an invitation to the Opening Night celebrations
For £3,500 or more
Two invitations for the Opening Night performance and celebrations, and a bespoke visit to the Northern Ballet's set and wardrobe workshops to see the production as it is being created
For £4,500 or more
Attend an orchestral rehearsal before the production opens and watch a performance of Gentleman Jack from the orchestra pit.
Watch the launch video
In partnership with
Supporters
The Liz & Terry Bramall Foundation
Arts Council England
The Keith Howard Foundation
The Keller Family Foundation
Gentleman Jack Founder Supporters
Northern Ballet would like to thank the following supporters for helping to launch Gentleman Jack.
John and Pat Barnes
Dianne Balmforth
Jilly Burrows
Peter Considine
Dr Frances Cole and Dr Judith Hooper
The Hon. Mrs Diana Dent
Christine & Peter Farmer
Kate & Andrew Fisher
Jane & Alan Foale
Tim Gittins
John & Maggie Hayes
Imogen Knight
Mr and Mrs Mark Mackaness
Tim Turvey and Dr Janet Webster
Brett and Joan Woodward
and those who wish to remain anonymous