Jo Valentine/Louise Richards
Motionhouse
Spencer Yard
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire CV31 3SY
T +44 (0)192 688 7052
F +44 (0)192 631 6734
E jo@motionhouse.co.uk
info@motionhouse.co.uk
W motionhouse.co.uk
Performance in Profile links:
Dance
- Small-scale companies/artists
- Middle-scale companies
- Large-scale companies
Drama
- Small-scale companies/artists
- Middle-scale companies
- Large-scale companies
Live Art
- Live Art companies/artists
Outdoor Work
- Outdoor companies
SIZE OF COMPANY
5–12 on the road
SCALE OF VENUE
Small-, middle- and large-scale
PERMANENT STAFF
Artistic Director
Kevin Finnan
Executive Director
Louise Richards
Programme Manager
Jo Valentine
Marketing Manager
Sanna Lounasto
Admin Assistant
Mary Kalunga-Eade
Finance Officer
Sue Ellison
ARTISTIC POLICY
Motionhouse creates new work of outstanding quality that is accessible and in demand for a range of touring scales. In addition to high impact performance work for the middle-scale venue circuit, the company creates work for performance in public places and spaces, including street festivals, and large-scale dance spectacles and site-specific events. Underpinning the work is a continuing intention to balance a commitment to artistic adventure with a desire to be exciting, appealing and stimulating to the broadest audience.
REVIEW EXTRACTS
‘The performance is practically jet-propelled – the quicksilver cast almost never stops moving. Dazzling.’ The Times (Scattered)
‘You couldn’t ask for a more exhilarating company than Motionhouse.’ Metro (Underground)
‘A ferociously energetic performance style with a slick and glossy assault on contemporary values.’ The Guardian (Driven)
CURRENT PRODUCTIONS
Scattered Explores our relationship with water. Combining physical dance theatre and mesmerising imagery in a unique interaction between film and live performance, performed on a huge curved floor that disappears skywards. (65 mins, no interval, 7 on stage, 12 on the road.)
Underground Performed within a rotating, rocking tubular structure, Underground uses physical dance, poignant imagery and surprising aerial encounters to explore the new reality of tube travel. (25 mins, no interval, 4 on stage, 5 on the road.)
Chaser Is a sharp injection of dance with high energy, awe inspiring dancing to catchy music on a triangular set. Chaser looks at how all our actions have consequences. (15 mins, no interval, 3 on stage, 4 on the road.)
FUTURE PRODUCTION
Cascade Stunning and engaging dance piece looking at our lives in relation to water. Taking place on a multi-storey set with several levels representing the everyday places of our life in an ascending structure. (25 mins, no interval, 5 on stage, 6 on the road.)
WRAP-AROUND
Motionhouse delivers an extensive education and participation programme tailor-made for each venue or agency, and accessible for all ages and abilities. This programme can include workshops for schools, adult community classes, creative projects for children, professional development and training projects for teachers, dancers and those who want to extend their skills base. Motionhouse’s teaching is accessible and inspiring, building on each person's capabilities and emphasising a sense of achievement for all. The wide ranging participatory programme complements and enhances the touring performance work. As the focus of the company’s educational activity mirrors that of their touring work, Motionhouse also welcomes opportunities to develop participatory performance projects, often in response to a site or location and offers longer residencies in venues and schools.
Through Motionhouse participatory projects, group members are taught, thrilled, challenged and enabled via the workshop process and creative exploration. They learn new skills, create their own dance material and potentially go on to perform and share their work. The integration of elements is the unique advantage to working with a creating company like Motionhouse – it is an exchange and allows everyone to flourish.
Classes start with simple warm-up exercises, gradually building to more challenging phrases and choreography. Participants develop body awareness, use of the body structure in weight giving and bearing, and an understanding of momentum and flow in movement. Thematically, the workshop and education activity can be based on a variety of subjects or be linked directly to the themes of a production.
Motionhouse also offers pre- and post-performance discussions and talks with the director and/or company members.
RECENT INTERNATIONAL WORK
2009 Holland, Belgium, Ireland, Spain (Underground)
2008 Italy (Underground), Holland, Bulgaria, Denmark (Chaser)
TOURING AVAILABILITY
Scattered, Chaser and Underground from May 2010
Cascade from June 2010
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