My Background and Qualifications
I have worked in the field of dance/performance art for over 25 years. I began my training with a sponsorship to the National Centre for Circus Arts, London, specialising in Static Trapeze. My professional career began as a collaboration with music producer Sven Vath where I devised and choreographed large scale live art events for over ten years. As a solo artist I devised and performed in a variety of contexts from the Natural History Museum and Hackney Empire, London to Windsor Castle Classical Music festival and the World Top Model Show, Zurich, appearing with Grace Jones.
I went on to study at The University of Brighton with Professor Liz Aggiss and gained a First Class BA Hons in Dance and Visual Art. I then began to take my work into the education and outreach sector beginning with a 1 year internship at South East Dance Agency, Brighton. This led me to the position of Artistic Director for Comart Dance Group, a project for young vulnerable women, funded by The Scarman Trust. I continued my work with marginalised young people and families as a key worker and workshop facilitator for Veritas programmes, funded by The Wishing Tree Trust and on a peer-mentoring programme, The V Project, funded by As You Are counselling service, Brighton. I was also part of a care team for A4e delivering art and movement sessions to young adults with Autism.
My most recent performance credits include choreographer for BBC’s Sid Sloan in Sid’s Show, written by Rachel Fuminger, movement director for The Grandfathers, new writing by Rory Mullarkey for the National Theatre Connections and devising both solo and group ensemble pieces for the late Dr Jill Hayes memorial, Chichester University. Solo dancer for Dance Professionals Fund promotion film in collaboration with Brighton Film School. Devising and performing A Thing with Feathers, Carnival of Invention Conference, University of Brighton, and solo dancer in The Wood, music video production, collaboration with New Note Orchestra.
I continue to actively develop my knowledge and expertise of delivering the arts to vulnerable populations having completed a professional mentoring scheme with the National Alliance for Arts in Criminal Justice and running workshops for the education team and service users at Clean Break, London, a theatre-based education company supporting the rehabilitation of women with experience of the criminal justice system.
I currently work as a wellbeing mentor and creative coach at the Academy of Contemporary Music, London and have a private practice in the South East providing creative coaching to people from all walks of life. I also teach a seniors creative movement class in my local community having taught in many settings including the University of Brighton and The Royal Shakespeare Company.
In my work, I am dedicated to raising awareness of supporting recovery from addiction through the arts and I continue to develop and facilitate projects for Create Recovery Arts Charity. I am presently devising expressive performance lectures on addiction through my own autobiographical enactment of recovery and am just embarking on a new project collaborating with local musicians creating theatre ensemble pieces that reflect the personal stories of revival after the destruction of addiction.
I am also a visual artist and writer, my poetry and artwork have been used for various publications, including Soul and Spirit in Dance Movement Psychotherapy by Dr Jill Hayes, Jessica Kingsley Publishers. I am also a long term member of Equity.
I started my training in Expressive Arts Education and Therapy at Tamalpa UK and in 2014 was awarded an ArtCorps Scholarship for condemnable work from the Tamalpa Institute, USA, where I completed my training. I am now a fully certified Tamalpa Practitioner and an Associate Teacher at Tamalpa UK.
