The Place is launching a lecture series that will cultivate debate around topical issues named the Cohan Lectures in honour of its founding Artistic Director and Patron, Robert Cohan CBE.
In What Matters?, Sir Ken Robinson and Robert Cohan CBE will debate this question at the inaugural Cohan Lecture on Thursday 11 June at The Place.
Running annually, the Cohan Lecture invites high-profile speakers from a broad range of industries and backgrounds to continue this debate.
The Cohan Lectures seek to discover what really matters to the thought leaders who are helping to shape our social, political, educational and cultural landscape. Over a period of ten years, each lecture will see different high profile thought leaders responding to the same question: What Matters?
A special gala event at The Place celebrating the immense contribution legendary choreographer Robert Cohan continues to make to dance in the UK saw the re-launch of the Cohan Scholarship. With donations made by supporters and guests in advance of the event, more than £18,000 has already been raised. The fund is now open for future donations.
The scholarship is a way of making sure that students who are at the brink of their professional careers are supported in their dance training and to realise their potential as independent artists. The Cohan Scholarship will be awarded annually to students from London Contemporary Dance School’s BA Hons programme who are about to start their final year of study.
Kenneth Tharp, Chief Executive of The Place said, “Robert Cohan has always been passionate about ensuring the next generation of dancers attain the excellence for which The Place has long been associated. If we all want to see more young dancers have a bright future then it is vital that we continue to raise funds so that we are able to select the most talented students for our School and support them where needed during their training.”
Veronica Lewis, Principal of London Contemporary Dance School, said about the scholarship, “I am delighted that our founding artistic director, Robert Cohan, has re-launched a scholarship which will support named students with exceptional potential in performance. Our recruitment process focuses on talent and disregards background, ethnicity and geography, so it is important for us to support our students through their studies whilst living in London.”
When asked about his career in dance, Robert Cohan said, "I have spent most of my 90 years in dance studios. They have always been wonderful places to be, filled with people who want to be there and love what they are doing. I am both lucky and happy to find that even at my age I can still be in the studio and create. Being involved with dance has always been and still is an extraordinary way for me to live my life.”