About me
I have very diverse experience of producing events and performance across a broad range of disciplines, sectors and scales. I’m passionate about dissolving the boundaries between all these areas to create unique experiences.
Clients/partners include: WPP/Intel, Google, LIFT, Sadler’s Wells, Dr Martens, Peroni/Miller Brands, Akram Khan Company, L’Oreal, BBC, Paul Smith, Barbican, London Fashion Week, London International Mime Festival, Time Out London, RIBA, London Design Festival, Palmer//Harding, Russell Brand, Amazon.com, Arts & Business, Island Records.
Projects
- Dance Umbrella 2012, Central St Martins, London Swan Lake, Royal Opera House, LondonIt makes perfect sense to hold a contemporary dance season on a fashion campus. Central St Martins is the hip, newly merged creative arts university whose plate-glass-and-granite premises, behind King's Cross Station, have only recently emerged from the scaffolding. Dance is in thrall to fashion just as much as clothing and product design are, and to judge by this year's Dance Umbrella edit, it too is undergoing a Seventies and early-Eighties moment. Which is to say that "dance" is presented as something to be pondered and picked at ? more concept, less elan. Counting to One Hundred, for instance, involves two middle-aged baldies (choreographer Jonathan Burrows and composer Matteo Fargion) sitting on chairs and, yes, counting out loud, albeit with physical interpolations including an action suggesting one man taking the other's blood pressure. More dancey but even more anaemic was New Yorker Beth Gill's group piece Electric Midwife, inspired by identical twins, two sets of them featuring among the all-female cast. In terms of symmetry, the piece was a veritable Rorschach blot-test of matched angles and curves. But, oh my, it was slow. Of its 45 minutes, 10 passed in motionless silence, unless you count the mental whir from audience rebels weighing up the chances of an early getaway. Carbon-dating dance, then, is an inexact science. Didn't this kind of dogged formalism have a run for its money in the 1970s? Nonetheless, in last week's column it was careless of your critic to describe Richard Alston's new piece, Isthmus, as a revival from 1985, and then, worse, draw unflattering conclusions. For the record then, Alston's best work is clearly not behind him, since Isthmus (created earlier this year) is as snappy and clear-eyed as anything in his 40-year career. If, on paper, Kevin O'Hare's choice of Swan Lake to launch his first season as the Royal Ballet's director looked retrograde, in the event it was astute, displaying the company's star-power, its corps, and even fledgelings from the RB School, at the life-enhancing peak of their powers. If you only ever see one Swan Lake in your life, see this.
- palmer // harding SS14 Womens Atmospherehaving been described in the press as “the worlds most perfect shirts” palmer//harding is a british brand known best for the directional design and high quality of their modern shirting. since launching in 2011 they have grown from strength to strength, featuring regularly in international publications, such as vogue us, elle, tank, marie claire, i-d, wall street journal, the independent, wwd and paper. palmer//harding has become the press’ go-to brand for modern shirting. their stockists include globally recognised retailers such as dover street market, louis, ikram, space mue and the room at hudson bay amongst others. the brand is comprised of central saint martins trained duo levi palmer, who grew up in america before moving to london, and matthew harding, who is british born and raised. as designers they explore the idea of duality and contradictions in their work, developing definitions of feminine strength. palmer//harding show their collections on-schedule during london fashion week, and with an ever evolving collection they continue to build a loyal following. palmer//harding have previously been awarded newgen sponsorship by the british fashion council and topshop as well as being finalist for the prestigious andam award in paris.
- Dreamland by Diago Mariotta Mendez for Vision ChinaFashion photographer Diago Mariotta Mendez teams up with creative director and stylist Elamas Yip for Dreamland story coming from the pages of Vision China‘s June 2015 edition. Stars of the session are models Lolita and Marta at PRM Models, Candice at Next Models, and Holly at FM Models joined by dancers Maxine Anastasia, Benjamin Milan, and Cameron Nedrick. In charge of art direction was Zipeng Li, with set design by Gareth Goodison at Londonartmaker. Hair styling is courtesy of Indira Schauwecker with makeup by Cuneyt Ozketen.
- Stages Project Helps Young People into the ArtsStages, our Widening Participation pilot, worked with young people to produce a promenade performance of Orpheus and Eurydice. In the video above, contributors to the Stages project reflect on its impact. Starting in April 2013, Central Saint Martins worked with more than 130 young people – mostly from local schools in Camden and Islington – through introductory workshops and auditions. By July, a company of 45 young people had been selected – including dancers from Dance United. The project culminated in four site-specific promenade performances of Orpheus and Eurydice. The young people staged the play across five spaces within the Granary building, including The Street and the Platform Theatre. Increased opportunities Artistic Director Simone Coxall said: “I think Stages has been an amazing opportunity for young people to engage with performance. It went across a year, it felt quite epic at times, and I really felt the young people came so far from the beginnings – when we were in the schools – to the final performance here at Central Saint Martins.” As part of the project we also ran audition technique workshops with the young people, to help them to prepare for applying to BA Acting. Since the project, one participant has been offered a place on the course and another has reached the second round of auditions. With nearly 2,000 applicants competing for BA Acting’s 16 places, this is an outstanding achievement. This year, Stages will continue building relationships with local schools and working with partners to secure funds for another large-scale project. We will work to make Stages sustainable, so that more young people can increase their chances of attending university or gaining employment in the creative industries.
- In pictures: Itch partners with Google for Brand Re:imagined eventItch worked alongside the Google event and marketing team to create an immersive afternoon of presentations and discussions on brand innovation and creativity. Speakers included Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry, Google UK & Ireland managing director Eileen Naughton and Tracy De Groose, UK chief executive of Dentsu Aegis. Brand Re:Imagined was an event for marketing leaders that focused on topics surrounding the changing marketing landscape, brand innovation and consumer behaviour analysis. Itch aimed to create a multi-layered, simple yet versatile set that featured bespoke content and projection.
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Skills
- Theatre
- Performing Arts
- Musical Theatre
- Drama
- Management
- Stage Management
- Entertainment
- Production
- Strategic Partnerships
- Stage
- Arts Administration
- Festivals
Education
Bachelor of Arts Theatre Studies
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