2022 Round Up

Occupational Hazard Premiere December 2022 – Photo Credit Solomon Charles Kelly

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Image Description:
Charlotte wearing a silky light blue blouse, pink fascinator hat, blue button earrings and pink chiffon scarf is smiling as she looks over her left shoulder. She can be seen from the shoulders up and is facing away from the camera. The background is shades of purple and is blurred.

Key moments:

going freelance
performing projects with Yorkshire Life Aquatic, Casson and Friends and FRONTLINEdance
touring the mini version of Occupational Hazard to summer festivals
Getting ACE funded for the second time
Premiering the full length version of Occupational Hazard in December
leading teacher CPD for the Ruth Gorse trust
leading Northern Ballet projects for early years and primary
leading afterschool, workshops and holiday activity for Hillcrest Academy on behalf of NSCD

It’s that time of year again where I sit down and reflect on my year of work. 2022, much like last year has been full of experiences – some a continuation from last year, but also lots of new exciting projects.

The first major thing to note, was that in May I decided it was time to leave DSL and go fully freelance. I spent a ridiculous amount of time making the decision, exhausting the ears of colleagues, friends and a career counsellor, but after I made the decision it felt like the most logical choice and I couldn’t believe it took me so long. I’ve gained so much experience, and support from my time at DSL which I’m grateful for, but it was time to open the door to new experiences.

Off the back of going freelance, I joined the NSCD team as CAT Outreach Coordinator for one day a week. Liaising with schools and colleges across Yorkshire, meeting young people aged 11+ and working with a team of artists to deliver this provision was a role I really relished stepping into. This year I’ve also led projects for Northern Ballet and NSCD embedding dance into the national curriculum through stories, maths and literacy – an avenue that I’m loved exploring and can easily see being my niche.

Of course I couldn’t not mention ACCA’s bumper year. Securing our second round of ACE funding to transform Occupational Hazard into a full length piece really felt like a big milestone reached. As well as delivering primary school projects, working with a community cast for the first time and touring around rural Yorkshire over the summer, I think we’re starting to find our flow.

Looking ahead to 2023:

I’m starting the year with a return to teaching my regular weekly classes at NSCD, DSL and LB Academy alongside working digitally for FRONTLINEdance, Skinner Releasing Network and will continue coordinating and delivering NSCD CAT outreach. I’ll also be enjoying the luxury of my IVE commission to research how to embed mindfulness into my teaching practice over the remainder of January, before touring The Explorers to Staffordshire libraries, hospitals and schools with FRONTINEdance from February.

2023 sees ACCA collaborating with German dance organisation Vier D with a bridge project between partner cities Leeds and Dortmund (more details to come) and wrapping up Occupational Hazard ready to initiate tour booking for Autumn. We’re also currently working on a project with theatre company Barrel Organ for another exciting project this year should we be successful with a funding bid.

After Spring break, I will be taking a little teaching interlude to focus on performance projects and heading to Indonesia for a couple of weeks to do my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training as well as taking a much needed break. I’m quite proud of myself for making this decision, because I am a chronic overworker who often thinks I can juggle everything. Both June and November were wonderfully full months last year, but I then spent an entire week in bed with the flu before OH’s premiere and knew that I’d been overdoing it. The time has come to slow down and focus in a little, however, I am intending to return to teaching from September so it’s not forever!

I’m going to keep this short and sweet, so that’s all my updates for now. As always if you wanna collaborate just shoot me a message and I look forward to what 2023 has to bring!