Read my news and updates

Hello Reader,

Welcome to my fifth e-newsletter of the year. May has been a month of travelling to North Devon, going to the theatre and trying out ideas with people in the room. As I've mentioned before, this email, is my way of keeping in touch, without you having to scroll through the Metaverse.

I want to share highlights, share my artistic journey, and make space to acknowledge and applaud those I encounter along the way. I invite you to grab a biscuit or two, make yourself a cuppa and take a look. You might discover overlapping opportunities, learn something new or, depending on age and wisdom, find my news nostalgic. Either way, it would be delightful to share, support, and stay connected.

Snapshot

Thank you.

My husband asked me yesterday, "How many people are listening to your podcast?" My reply was, "I don't know. I'm just doing it."

Today, while designing this email, I noticed my newsletter stats. I am sending it out to 45 people, and apparently, every single one of them is opening my email. That is incredible, and I feel very proud.

I just wanted to say a massive thank you.

I firmly believe that if you want to do something, just go for it. Try it out, keep going, and learn as you do it. When I wanted to start a dance centre in West Sussex, I simply took the leap and hoped I could fly. This approach is the best way for me to learn and shape my ideas, helping me to communicate them clearly. My dance centre successfully delivered affordable, accessible and professional sessions for 6 years. It worked.

I wonder, when I look back at the end of the year, what my projects will have evolved into.

May's Moments

🎨 Tune in for an engaging and heartfelt discussion that will resonate with artists and creatives of all ages. Don't miss this chance to hear Chloe Fear's story and be inspired by her dedication to the arts and community.

Episode 5 is all about finding your own path and identity as a young person in the arts, protecting your mental health and using dance as a tool to gain motivation and peace and about having choice.

Check it out now and listen to Chloe Fear, Artistic Director of Fearless Collective and Hip Hop and Contemporary fusion dancer and practitioner.
 

🎙️You can find SEEN on Spotify or on my website

Milestones

This month, I travelled to North Devon to work with three primary schools as Lead Project Associate for Landmark Theatres. This is part of the Playhouse Programme, which invites schools to choose a play and put on a piece of theatre on a local stage. My role, alongside Jess Cox (pictured above), is to guide and support school teachers and pupils in the creation of the play, from ideas to performance.

Having directed for the Theatre Royal Plymouth, last year on the Playhouse play 'Genius' with 25 Key Stage 2 pupils, as well as working with With Flying Colours for four years, co-creating productions with numerous year groups, I feel I have a valuable insight into the process of producing a play in this context.

It was exciting to see 90 children enthusiastic about the prospect of being on stage and witnessing drama and the arts being invested in by the school staff.

I absolutely loved sharing my knowledge, offering advice, affirming talented teachers, and finding and sending resources to support their next steps. The festival is in July, and I can't wait to see the progress next month.

Take Away

In February, I successfully applied for a place on the Babel Theatre INFUSE Residency with Chris Evans. As I have mentioned before this week long creative learning process for established and mid career artists was an amazing opportunity to cement and develop aspects of my practice. Below is a short video of the experience where you will find me speaking at the end, about bringing the knowledge and wealth of expertise within the room, back to Devon.

I am honoured to discover that I will be returning to London at the start of July to work with award winning choreographer, performer and maker Rhys Dennis.

These established career opportunities for professionals are so important. They provide invaluable learning experiences, foster creativity, and help build connections within the industry. It enables me to bring fresh perspectives and innovative techniques back to our local arts community in Devon.

How do you seek out and take advantage of opportunities to grow and develop in your own creative practice?

MOVEMENT DIRECTOR / KINESPHERIC PRACTITIONER / CHOREOGRAPHER / PERFORMER