Our previous projects and workshops.

Silversmith continued its community work as Instantly Theatrical to create a comedic, high energy, family friendly outdoor dance performance to 1950s music. The performance has been showcased at the Mayton Street Festival 2011 and Holloway's Big Day Out 2011, in partnership with the Rowan Arts Project and the Holloway Neighbourhood Group.

Silversmith, in partnership with Rowan Arts, was awarded a Fireworks grant by Islington Council to create a light-based costume performance for the local community. Working with costume designer Nadia Malik and three professional performers, Silversmith choreographed an accessible and dynamic dance performance to engage local spectators. The work was performed at the Green Space Halloween Festival (31/10/10) & The Haywood Fireworks Display (05/11/10).

Lorraine has been leading regular creative movement sessions for parents and children in the local community and children from the centre. Dance and movement is used to explore the body, props, images and sounds. Inspiring 'adult friendly' music and props are used to develop the children's movement skills, creativity, memory, confidence, independence, ability to interact with others, co-operation and communication skills. Each term works with a different theme, usually related to the centre's monthly topics, and helps the centre to meet health and fitness promotion and arts targets.

"The children enjoy the class very much. It is nice for them to join in with other children [from outside the centre] and build their confidence in a group."

Maxine, Pembury childcare practitioner.

"It is a nice class, my daughter loves it! Keep it up."

Parent

"I love to help you in the class."

Katie (aged 4)

Silversmith facilitated drop-in workshops for young people from the community of Folkestone (of all abilities). These workshops included An Introduction to Butoh and An Introduction to Dance Improvisation. Both workshops were delivered in a fun and easy-to-follow manner, in a non-judgemental environment. Participants were invited to return at the end of the day to showcase their new skills. An Introduction to Butoh was a particular favourite; with its use of fun exercises such as zombie walks and animal imagery, and An Introduction to Dance Improvisation was adapted to facilitate the participants' desires to create their own choreography out of the exercises.

Silversmith was selected to be a resident choreographer over a summer to create a dance piece with recent dance graduates for Cloud Dance Festival. Through weekly sessions Silversmith used the songs from the album Murder Ballads, by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, to create an expressive dance performance. The work explored the different female characters and archetypes from the album including woman as victim, sexual predator and murderer with qualities of vulnerability, fragility, madness and irrationality. The result of the residency was an exciting, dark and occasionally comical ensemble work which was performed at the Siobhan Davies Studios. Performers came away with a wealth of devising and performance skills, as well as new experiences in expressive movement.

Silversmith Dance Theatre delivered dance theatre workshops at Varndean College to create a quirky site specific piece based around the idea of a summer picnic. 

Students were taken on an exploration of the college site to select an appropriate and interesting space for a site-specific performance. The site and its uses were discussed and used as a basis for the formation of a narrative. The movement of the work was created from the narrative and choreographed to make full use of the space i.e. deciding the best vantage point for audience viewing, drawing attention to interesting elements of the site, etc.

Silversmith worked towards broadening student knowledge of different dance forms, choreographic and devising processes, directing and performance skills, as well as empowering students to make creative decisions and take ownership of the work created.

"I'd like to thank you for delivering dance theatre workshops at Varndean College, Brighton. The work you created for our two performances was wonderful and the students really benefited from working with you. You worked in an open, professional and friendly manner and set exciting and diverse tasks for the students to respond to. I was impressed with how you then used their ideas and guided them through structuring their work. The result was two visually stunning pieces of work, which through your guidance, the students had ownership of. Thank you and please work with us again!"

Natasha Mansfield-Osborne (Former Dance Tutor, Varndean College)

Silversmith Dance Theatre delivered dance theatre workshops at Varndean College to create a powerful, yet comical, stage piece depicting a funeral and mourning. The piece was performed at the Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton.

After initial introductory workshops on Dance Theatre, material was created through the use of exciting and diverse tasks and theme-based stimuli. The students were then guided in structuring their ideas into a coherent piece and given direction on performance.

Silversmith worked towards broadening student knowledge of different dance forms, choreographic and devising processes, directing and performance skills, as well as empowering students to make creative decisions and take ownership of the work created.

"I'd like to thank you for delivering dance theatre workshops at Varndean College, Brighton. The work you created for our two performances was wonderful and the students really benefited from working with you. You worked in an open, professional and friendly manner and set exciting and diverse tasks for the students to respond to. I was impressed with how you then used their ideas and guided them through structuring their work. The result was two visually stunning pieces of work, which through your guidance, the students had ownership of. Thank you and please work with us again!"

Natasha Mansfield-Osborne (Former Dance Tutor, Varndean College)