Research Development Lab

Brianna Kell and Sarah Houbolt will work on a week-long development project, giving 2 Australian artists time and space to reflect, explore and question their practice and to test new ideas.

Brianna is currently investigating ideas around the Woman: strength, resilience, intelligence, power, negotiation and self perception in our media saturated age. Through movement, she wants to captivate the vulnerability vs. the strength of action – tessellating between reactive motion and constant movement. A patchwork of power unites our femininity. What is it to be woman?

Sarah will explore the learnings from her dance practice so far, consolidating insights into her own access requirements in relation to dance as well as influences from the aesthetics of access movement in physical performance. Working at Critical Path gives Sarah an opportunity to go deeper into territory that deserves exploration time from a disability-led approach.

Facilitated by Critical Path’s Associate Artist, Adelina Larsson.

Brianna Kell graduated from The VCA in Melbourne with a Bachelor of Dance (2010) and was awarded the Orloff Family Trust award for “Most Outstanding Talent”. From 2011-2015, Brianna worked with Tasdance touring nationally in works by renowned artists. Brianna has worked with Murmuration integrated performance company as a performer and workshop facilitator and is one of the leading facilitators for DirtyFeet’s Right Foot Program. Brianna has choreographed for Tasdance’s Education Program, Ev&Bow, Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, The Sydney Fringe Festival (Heaven Metal), InMotion Festival (Flow) and DirtyFeet’s Out of The Studio creating Observation (2016). Brianna recently performed in TheFarm Company’s work, Frank Enstein.

Sarah Houbolt is a professional performer interested in the unique physical body in performance and the aesthetics of access. She is a founding member of The Dust Palace circus theatre and a core company member of Touch Compass Dance Co. In 2012, Sarah received the inaugural Arts Access Aotearoa Artistic Achievement Award, and Auckland Short and Sweet Dance Best Performer award. In 2015, Sarah performed at Adelaide Fringe Festival, undertook ANAT’s ‘Unfixed’ residency and was a Sync Leader for Australia Council for the Arts. In 2015-6, Sarah toured her critically acclaimed one woman dance theatre show, Kookoo the Birdgirl, spoke at Festival of Dangerous Ideas at Sydney Opera House, and managed the national arts conference, Arts Activated at Carriageworks. In 2017 Sarah was involved with Sydney Festival.

Photo Credits:
Hayley Rose Photography, Choreographic Lab, courtesy of DirtyFeet
Jocelen Janon, Kookoo the Birdgirl
Matt Cornell, Flow
Greta Gotlieb, photograph of Sarah Houbolt
Kate Disher-Quill, Observation from DirtyFeet’s Out of The Studio

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Critical Path

The Drill, 1C New Beach Rd,
Darling Point (Rushcutters Bay), Sydney