A MUSEUM is embarking on its first collaboration with a dance company.

Fertile Ground have teamed up with The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, after seeing their current exhibition, Birds of Paradise, Plumes & Feathers in Fashion.

The company, formerly Dora Frankel Dance, is the North-East’s first professional graduate dance company which aims to nurture, inspire and challenge a new generation of dance artists.

Led by artistic director Dora Frankel, it includes dancers Holly Bellamy, Kayleigh Fisk, Alicia Meehan and Alys North.

The project has three elements: offering contemporary dance workshops for primary and secondary schools, student dance residencies and a contemporary dance performance: On the Darkened Wing.

All have been inspired by the exhibition's themes of refinement, luxury, femininity, lost innocence and dark romance.

Fertile Ground will perform a series of dances in response to the themes, wearing costumes designed by BA (Hons) Costume Interpretation and Design students from the Cleveland College of Art and Design.

“We want to inspire people through dance, increasing appreciation and understanding of contemporary dance and bringing new impulses to the region's dance life,” said Ms Frankel. “We frequently work with arts and heritage venues to enliven and animate their spaces and support their outreach work.”

The Museum’s Assistant Curator, Hannah Jackson, added: “This collaboration is breaking new ground for The Bowes Museum.

“We feel it is a unique opportunity to showcase contemporary dance and costumes inspired by the Birds of Paradise exhibition.

“Working with costume students and dance graduates is a really exciting partnership, which we hope to continue.”

On The Darkened Wing will be performed at 7pm on Friday, March 13, 2015 at The Witham, in Barnard Castle.

Tickets cost £5 for adults and £3 for concessions/children.

To book visit www.thewitham.org.uk