DANCE WITH ME
5 November – 13 December 2026 (Thur-Sun 12-4pm)
Paradise Works, Salford
Under the same eclipse, dance with me so we don’t fall.
Dance With Me is a new immersive exhibition by British Chinese artist Donald Shek, exploring dance, memory and intergenerational experiences through digital animation, sound and sculptural installation.
At its heart is the idea of dance as a shared language – a way of finding connection and belonging across cultures and generations.
Rooted in British Chinese and East and South East Asian (ESEA) experiences, the exhibition moves between the dance halls of first-generation migrants and the club culture of later generations, exploring how music, movement and shared spaces have shaped memories, identities and connections.
Blending dreamlike moving images, sound and sculptural interventions, Dance With Me brings memory, nostalgia and the present together. It explores how cultural memories travel between generations, and how the spaces where we dance, meet and gather can connect us.
Through Dance With Me, I invite you to think about dance not simply as entertainment, but as a way of remembering, connecting and finding belonging.
Donald Shek, Dance With Me installation, conceptual render, 2026. Image courtesy of the artist.
CREDITS & SUPPORT
Presented and commissioned by
Paradise Works, Salford
Moving-image commission
Moving-image work co-commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella (FVU) and Paradise Works.
Supported by
The exhibition is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Project Team and Collaborators
Donald Shek - Artist
Jessica Bennett - Director and Lead Curator, Paradise Works
Kayt Woods - Producer, Paradise Works
Katrina Man - Associate Curator and Community Producer
Sandy Wan - Marketing
Gabrielle Sargent - Marketing, Paradise Works
An-Ting Chang - Composer and Producing Consultant
Liam Spillane aka Index|106 - Composer
Alyssa Mello - Creative Technologist, PTEQ
Tuyet Van Huynh - Producing Consultant
Alisdair Livingstone - Videographer, Tiny Jungle Studios
Panca Septiana - Graphic Designer
Andrew Parkes aka Rhythm Droid - DJ, Dance Box
Kieran Leach, Robin Broadley and Adam Rawlinson - Install Technicians
With research, residency and in-kind support from
FVU:LAB a research and development residency for artists supporting access to new technology in moving image.
FVU:LAB is a Film Video Umbrella initiative delivered in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University.
FVU:LAB is supported by The Fenton Arts Trust
Centre for Performance, Technology, and Equity (PTEQ) at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London
Kakilang, London
esea contemporary, Manchester
Shoreditch Town Hall, London
Centre 151, London
Additional thanks to collectors of Shek’s work for their continued support.
PUBLIC PROGRAMME
Full details of dates will released on the 19th October.
Opening Launch
Dance Box + Performance
Artist Talk
Drypoint Etching Workshop
LunchBox Workshop
Paradise Works
East Philip Street
Salford, Manchester M3 7LE
Around a 10-minute walk from Manchester Victoria Station, with connections to National Rail, Metrolink and TfGM Free Bus 2.
