Join us at the Gymnasium Gallery at the Berwick Barracks as we commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day in the swing and style of the 1940s.

Travel back to 1945 for an afternoon of dancing and live music.

Oliver Brooks, associate director at Tortive Theatre, and West End musicals singer Vicki Lee Taylor will lead a tea dancing party – demonstrating the moves and rhythms of the 40s dancefloor so everyone can join in the fun.

Songs from Vicki will create the mood of the era with a selection of classic songs, while the Edinburgh-based band Swingaholics will perform swing jazz hits that are sure to make you bop and jive.  

Add to the atmosphere by dressing in the style of World War Two and the 1940s.  

Competition Time: Come in a themed costume to be in with a chance of winning our vintage clothing competition. 

Refreshments: 1940s themed food and drinks, including sandwiches and cakes.  

So come and join us for a moving and memorable way to celebrate VE Day’s 80th anniversary. 1945 – 2025. 

The VE Day Community Tea Dance is produced by The Maltings (Berwick) Trust and Tortive/The Straw Yard on behalf of the Living Barracks Project and is part of our Berwick Shines Project.  

The Living Barracks redevelopment will restore and renew the historic Berwick Barracks site that has played a pivotal role in the town’s social and cultural life for centuries. It has been supported through The Cultural Development Fund, a Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) fund administered by Arts Council England.