New Adventures has announced their Overture dance artist cohort for 2020/2021. Established in 2016, Overture is the annual New Adventures professional development programme for dance artists and dance teachers from a variety of genres who have been working in community or education settings for less than five years. Each year, the group of artists are chosen for their work that spans both urban and rural settings, representing the diversity of contemporary England.
New Adventures is passionate about creating pathways through the company and this year’s cohort include Felipe Pacheco who was part of the young ensemble in Matthew Bourne’s production of Lord of the Flies in 2014, and Roisin Whelan who performed in Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet in its world premiere last year.
Found through an open call and through our dance networks, this year’s 16 talented community dance artists are:
- Callum Anderson, 28, Hove, East Sussex
- Phoebe Chung, 26, Ipswich, Suffolk
- Stephanie Donohoe, 25, Leeds, West Yorkshire
- Ellen Hathaway Spence, 25, Gateshead
- Sally Hendry, 22, Manchester
- Kirsty Holmes, 25, Tonbridge, Kent
- Stephanie Jenner, 28, Newton Abbot, Devon
- Rebecca Mulvihill, 25, Canterbury, Kent
- Felipe Pacheco, 23, Heswall, Merseyside
- Hannah Raynor, 30, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire
- Lewis Sharp, 24, Barking, Essex
- Michael Sookhan, 22, Croydon, London
- Kashmira Sunni, 38, Northolt, London
- Jessica Truslove, 24, Rowley Regis, West Midlands
- Patrick Webster, 27, Croydon, London
- Roisin Whelan, 24, Woking, Surrey
Facilitated by Resident Artist Kerry Biggin and Community Dance Practice Educator Tom Hobden, the cohort of dance artists participate in three residential weekends at the Company’s base in Farnham Maltings, Surrey over a six-month period, as well as digital sessions during this current period of lockdown. Each residential comprises of practical workshops, class and skills-sharing as well as inspirational guest teachers from a variety of dance backgrounds sharing their practice. With workshops in areas such as personal development and networking, New Adventures aim to provide the cohort with a range of skills to support them in reaching the next level of their careers as community dance artists.
Kerry Biggin said today.’ It is wonderful to be part of the journey and development of the dance artists and teachers that we work with each year on Overture.  It is continually inspiring to see how each cohort grow and build their network, confidence and aspiration. It is always inspiring to see alumni continue to strive for their goals and ambitions & stay connected to their Overture network well after the programme has finished.
Tom Hobden said today ‘It has been my absolute pleasure to co-lead OVERTURE with New Adventures for 5 years and it has been a wonderful journey for myself and the 70+ young dance artists we have worked with. To know we are sending out charged and inspiring artists into the sector gives real hope for the future of dance and in our uncertain times when the need will be greatest to move, we will thankfully have the OVERTURE artists ready to help.’
New Adventures and the Overture Programme is supported using public funds from Arts Council England.
