Joining our Core Cast - Sarah Blanc, Megan Griffiths and Lucy Starkey - we would like to introduce our team of local artists who will support The Imagination Museum: Mayflower 400 project in the Pilgrim Roots Hub (Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire), Hampshire and Plymouth:
Pilgrim Roots
Emma Bouch
Emma Bouch completed her professional training in contemporary dance in 2013 at the University of Lincoln where she gained her BA Honours Degree in Dance. In 2014 she went on to complete her Masters in Dance Performance and Choreography at the University of Bedfordshire. Emma has worked on a number of freelance projects as a choreographer, educator and performer since graduating such as The Dance We Made with Casson and Friends. Emma was also part of the 2017/18 Overture Cohort Programme with New Adventures & Re:Bourne. Emma currently works for artsNK, based in Lincolnshire as a dance development artist. At artsNK Emma delivers and develops various dance projects and programmes across the county to a wide range of ages and abilities within the community. This ranges from running artsNK’s youth dance programme to being the lead artist of artsNK’s dance and disabilities programme. Emma is very passionate about community dance and champions the artistic abilities of all.
Amy O’Sullivan
Amy is a community dance artist based in Lincoln. After graduating from her BA (Hons) Degree in Dance and Masters in Choreography from the University of Lincoln, Amy has choreographed and performed for many national and local dance and theatre companies, including for outdoor, platform and festival performances. She has worked across Lincolnshire in the community arts sector and now delivers workshops across the county in a variety of styles and disciplines.
Alice Shepperson
Alice is a freelance dance artist and trained at Northern School of Contemporary Dance, graduating in 2015 with a First Class Honours Degree. She then continued her training within JV2 (2015-16) working with Jasmin Vardimon, Vinicius Salles and AΦE.
Currently, she is touring ‘The Chit Chat Chalk Show’ by Hawk Dance Theatre and The Knotted Project, and is an understudy for Chhaya Collective’s work -‘KHAOS’. She has worked on projects with artists: Tim Casson (Casson and Friends), Barnaby Booth, Ian Dolan (Dirtmarket), Tino Sehgal and Lina Lapelyte.
Alice enjoys teaching; and has previously taught professional class at Nottingham and Leicester. Over the span of her dance career so far, she has led many different workshops and classes for young people, around the UK.
Alice is really looking forward to delving into the Dance Engagement Practitioner role for Katie Green’s Imagination Museum: Mayflower 400 project!
Hampshire
Sophie Douglas
Sophie is passionate about providing opportunities for positive experiences in dance. Her interest in dance in education and the community has remained at the core of her practice throughout her roles as a dancer, dance teacher and dance projects manager. Currently based in Southampton, Sophie works across several units on the BA Dance programme at the Arts University Bournemouth and works with the university's Widening Participation team in engaging young people in participatory dance activity. Sophie is also artistic lead for Pavilion Dance South West's youth dance company 'Coast' and is thrilled, across her combined roles, to be contributing to the career development of creative young artists in the South West. Sophie looks forward to working in Hampshire and contributing to the forthcoming Imagination Museum: Mayflower 400 project.
Natalie Watson
Natalie is a professional contemporary dancer and dance teacher. She has performed at professional dance platforms such as Resolution, Emerge Festival and Greenwich Dance Festival. She has also toured nationally and internationally with companies such as MCDC and Nexus Dance Theatre.
Natalie has also taught in a wide variety of educational and community settings, such as The Point and at Wessex Dance Academy.
Plymouth
Kaitlyn Howlett
Photo: Andrew Clarke
Kaitlyn is originally from Weston–Super–Mare, North Somerset and is now a Dance and Taiko Artist based in Plymouth, Devon. After Completing a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Performing arts from Weston College Kaitlyn progressed to The University of Plymouth graduating with a First Class BA Honors Degree in Dance Theatre (2017). Kaitlyn's practice in dance lies within celebrating and discovering unique ways of moving, and finding the edges of movement with a high focus on remaining fluid. As an inclusive practitioner Kaitlyn finds joy in celebrating one’s own unique movement style, always searching to find a place where differences can meet and exceed to their highest potential.
"I am really excited to be be joining the Imagination Museum Mayflower 400 Project as a Dance Engagement Practitioner and Producer from Plymouth. I'm excited to be working in an area of dance that I feel is very useful and to help give more information for people through a creative pathway!"
Kane John Mills
Plymouth-based Kane John Mills is a dance, theatre and installation artist, facilitator, writer and a choreographer who graduated from Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) with a BPA (Hons) Degree in July 2017.
Kane thoroughly enjoys ‘switching hats’ for the various roles he excitedly finds himself in and especially has a real love for working as a dance practitioner: he facilitates challenging yet accessible sessions for people from all walks of life. He believes the arts are for everyone and is a passionate advocate for inclusivity.
Kane is extremely grateful for this amazing opportunity and he absolutely cannot wait to start working on this project.
The Imagination Museum: Mayflower 400 project is produced by Made By Katie Green, supported financially using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England as part of the Strategic Touring programme, Hampshire Cultural Trust, The Box, West Lindsey, Plymouth and Bassetlaw District Councils, and also delivered in partnership with the Pilgrim Roots Regional Partnership, Transported, The Point, Plymouth Dance and Plymouth Culture.