Project portfolio

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Work as an independent artist, in addition to work commissioned by LTA.

In education:

Dance development in Special Education settings, (2005 -18):
Extended work at Yeoman Park Special School and Redgate Primary developing and leading on dance in creative teaching and learning of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), complex needs, Profound and Multiple Learning Disability (PMLD) and the hard to reach through whole class teaching and specialised one to one sessions.

Theatre of Possibility, (2006 -18):
Dancer/musician as part of Theatre of Possibility with director John Naylor, using multi media, movement, theatre and sound in live interactive improvisation to create an aesthetic environment and experience, and explore learning through creativity, imagination and non-verbal communication with students with complex needs and Foundation and Early Years children.

Teacher CPD training workshops (2004 - 7)
In partnership with Derbyshire County Council Local Authority in Creative Approaches to Teaching and Learning, at conference and learning days. Dance in cross curricular learning contexts and for creative approaches to teaching.

Creative Partnerships, (2000 – 08)
Extended work for Creative Partnerships as Creative Development Worker in Nottingham, with responsibility for Special Education development; and in Bolsover, Ashfield and Mansfield in Primary (e.g. Sir John Sherbrooke, Calverton), Secondary (e.g. Tibshelf) and Special Schools (e.g. Yeoman Park) with senior leadership, staff and students in developing dance across the curriculum towards whole school development of creative approaches to learning.

Electric Paper (1999) developing performance for disabled and non-disabled dancers and related creative learning materials to inspire innovative approaches to teaching science at Key Stage 2. The Attenborough Arts Centre Leicester, project director Judy Birkenshaw.

Earlier teaching (1983 - 89) includes: team member of London Contemporary Dance Theatre Touring Education Unit and Special Education Unit, contemporary dance technique and choreography at Bedford College, Derby College Wilmorton, Islington Arts Factory, London College of Dance, Middlesex Polytechnic, The Studio Centre.

Choreography, direction and performance:

Object-ification, (2019 - 20 The Secret Dance Club, click for more details):
Dance installation exploring attitudes to women in life and art, Wirksworth Festival Art and Architecture Trail 2019, and re-worked as Plinth in 2020 for socially distanced outdoor performance.

Dreamland, (2019 The Secret Dance Club):
Dance for music video, singer / songwriter Dan Whitehouse, video direction Martin Hyde

Recalculate, (2019 The Secret Dance Club):
Choreography, as part of art event, Sensory, created by Martin Hyde.

A Way of Seeing Double bill, (2019 The Secret Dance Club):
Examining aspects of memory and its effect on relationships including Camera Obscura, dance theatre exploring the role of music and lifelong partners in living with dementia; and Memory Box, dance installation exploring varied perspectives of memory in shared experiences. Performed Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015, Wirksworth Festival 2015, Deda 2016, Brighton Fringe Festival 2017. 5* reviews.

Hill Project, Live, (2019):
Artistic Direction and choreography for commissioned performance installation adaption of exhibition by award wining photographer Kate Bellis, exploring cultural and working life in the local community. Performed Wirksworth Festival ’18 and Copeland Gallery Peckham, 2019.

Bright in the Corner, Igniting Ambition East Midlands Cultural Olympiad, (2010 - 12):
Artistic Director/ Co-choreographer / Dancer. Dance Theatre performance with artists from Derbyshire and Mamelodi, SA, inspired by cross cultural learning and collaboration, and the unique contribution each artist makes according to their culture and personal experience. Performed at Lakeside Theatre, Deda, Embrace, Wirksworth Festival. In 2010 travelling to Mamelodi to work with schools, community members and artists from Usuthu Art Productions. See project video here: https://vimeo.com/37528935
Unbroken Thread (2010 - 11):
Commissioned cross art-form installation with artist Denise Stanton and composer Tullis Rennie. Site specific work at Wirksworth Heritage Centre for Wirksworth Festival Arts and Architecture Trail exploring the role of women in local textile history.

Shine Festival (2008)
Choreographer/ Artistic Director at Creswell Crags to create site specific performance within cave environments with KS 3/4 students in NE Derbyshire.

Genius Loci, (2006):
Choreographer/performer as part of artist team at heritage site Creswell Crags, NE Derbyshire, to create original
site responsive work for an Arts Trail, in response to the natural ice age environment, including caves.

Labels, (2000 - 01):

a Year of the Artist project in collaboration with Andrew Williams. Creative work in dance and music with young men at risk of exclusion from school, centred around their social experience of living in the town and their connection to each other as an identified group. Resulted in movement films with original soundtrack shown as video installation in Wirksworth Art and Architecture Trail 2000, The Rural Youth Issues National Forum, National Specialist Sports Colleges Conference and featured in the East Midlands Arts ‘YOTA - The Way Forward’ Conference.

Previous performance work (1983 - 95) including with Matthew Hawkins (Lurching Darts and Imminent Dancers), Ann Dickie and Tom Yang (Lurching Darts), Michael Popper (Direct Current), Manoeuvres Dance Company, at Albany Theatre, Almeida Theatre, BAC, Chisenhale Dance Space, Hackney Empire, Hoxton Hall, ICA, Jacksons Lane, Putney Attic, Savoy Kings Cross, The Place Theatre, various UK venues and in Israel; with Ensemble 8 (Director Andrew Williams) Norwich and Derbyshire venues.

Previous choreography work (1983 - 89) includes solo for Tom Yang, performed on tour in Asia, with Hong Kong City Ballet as part of a cultural exchange programme, with Ann Dickie and Dudley Barrett, for Cambridge Community Dance Company, Cambridge Ballet Workshop, Suffolk Dance Youth Company, Norwich Community Dance.

Artist residencies:

Toyota City Culture Exchange Artist (2008, Derbyshire County Council)
3 month residency as dance artist in Toyota City, Japan, to represent Derbyshire County Council in Cultural Exchange Programme. Working in 12 Toyota City Schools and with vocational dance students at Toyota City Ballet School, dance artists from the Nijo Motome Creative Ballet School, and musician Yuhi Watanabe. Four commissioned works performed various venues Toyota City.

Dance Animator, Norwich and Norfolk Community Dance (1990 - 1993).

Wells Arts Centre 1988, Suffolk Schools 1989.