PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT LAB

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This facilitated development project gives 4 Australian artists time and space to reflect, explore and question their practice and to test new ideas, over 2 weeks, supported by Kate Marsh. Kate will be in Australia undertaking a 3 week residency with Critical Path as part of a collaboration with Metal, Peterborough (UK) an interdisciplinary artist development organisation.

Each participating artist will work on their own material but will share their explorations and feedback to each other. They will also take part in collective activity initiated by Kate. Artists will work toward defining and presenting a choreographic idea in progress; encouraged to focus on innovation within their craft, to push boundaries and explore within their practice – to experiment within a safe environment for play. We see this project as a way to support a diverse group of artists with very different practices and at different stages of their careers to engage with us in exploring what their choreographic practice is. The proposed participating artists are drawn from Sydney and Melbourne.

DATES
Tue 21 to Fri 24 Feb AND
Mon 27 Feb to Thur 2 Mar

The program includes a number of artists who identify as artists with disability although the program will not be identified as such by Critical Path and artists will decide how they want to identify and talk about themselves and their work.

Funded by Arts NSW, Australia Council for the Arts, Accessible Arts, Metal UK & Arts Council England.

Kate Marsh (UK) graduated from University of Chichester with a BA Hons (Dance) in 1996 and joined Candoco Dance Company.  She delivered the company’s workshop programme especially focusing on choreographic residencies nationally and internationally. She performed in works by Doug Elkins, Javier de Frutos and Fin Walker. 1998-2000 Kate also worked at Greenwich Dance Agency. Kate continues to work with Candoco delivering education and training programmes such as Moving Bodies and as artist mentor on Summer Labs, choreographing participatory works and performing in site specific works such as Trisha Brown’s Floor of the forest and Set and Reset/Reset as part of the company’s repertoire. In addition to her work with Candoco Kate works as a dance teacher and choreographer and has completed a PhD at Coventry University; her doctorate explores the development of leadership roles for disabled dance artists.

Welly O’brien started dancing after losing her leg in 1994, training formally with Candoco Dance Company in 1998 on an Arts Council England bursary. In 2000, Welly joined the company full time and toured for 4 years. After starting a family, she returned to dance as a freelance dancer and teacher. In addition to working as a Candoco, Associate Artist, Welly has worked with Graeae Theatre Company, Frontline Dance, Scarebeus, la Aerial Theatre, Fura Dels Baus and Wired Aerial. She is currently touring with Caroline Bowditch’s, “Falling in Love with Frida” and performing and working in collaboration with Kate Marsh’s research and duet called “Famuli”. Welly loves every

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Critical Path

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