cloud dance festival
Showcasing, championing and advocating for UK-based independent dance artists since 2007
Please note that this is a temporary version of this website while I migrate everything else across from its predecessor, hence the furry friend. Many apologies in advance for any glitches and ickiness.
About
In addition to the below, my other projects have included open space and salon-style events; developing and running career development programs for producers and self-producing artists; producing producers; transforming an archaic national dance network into a strong platform and voice for the independent dance sector; participating in regional dance networks across the UK – I do love a good intervention.
And I’m also a photographer.
Watch
Works by over 150 key contemporary dance and ballet artists and companies through my myriad festivals, platforms and scratch nights
Read
Researching and writing about aspects of the contemporary dance sector and all who sail in her
Stay
Sourcing and providing affordable accommodation for Edinburgh Fringe artists and performers
Affordable Edinburgh Fringe Accommodation
2023 is the second year of my Affordable Fringe Digs project, sourcing and providing reasonably-priced, comfortable and safe Fringe accommodation for Fringe performers and artists, with financial assistance towards accommodation costs.
Find Out More
I really don’t know what to put here
Affordable Fringe Digs
Working across Edinburgh’s neighbourhoods to source affordable and suitable accommodation for artists’ Fringe stays, offering a brokerage service for both artists and hosts
Porridge Fund
This is a donation-based hardship bursary which was created last August for Fringe participants to support fellow Fringe artists in financial distress
Accommodation Bursary
I’ve raised sufficient funds to support up to four Fringe artists per week with their accommodation costs, offering £25 per recipient per night
A Selection of Articles
Here is a selection of articles, blogs and features I’ve written since 2014.
Dance at Edinburgh Fringe 2017
Edinburgh Fringe is nearly back upon us, and with it being a British Council year again, there's an enormous selection of high-quality shows to see - and that's just in dance! In addition to the British Council Showcase - usually presenting the cream of the shows on...
Crazy Little Thing Called Paid Work
Unpaid work is one of the current buzzwords across the dance industry: we all want to talk about it and decry it, however these conversations lack a basic understanding of the role of unpaid work within our industry, how it is perpetuated, and under which...
What Price A Dancer? – Dancers’ Rates of Pay
After publishing the original version of this article a few days ago, I discussed it with Rosie Kay, one of the main contributors, and she made some very valid arguments about rewriting this article to reframe and refocus it. In response to one of her questions, I...
We Need To Talk About Unions
A few weeks ago, there was a huge outcry about the (then) latest audition notice from Royal Opera House, and the pittance offered as payment; Article19 originally drew attention to it, and refused to publish the notice, and the grumblings grew from there. As we all...
Feed TheImp!
A few weeks ago, Twitter notified me that someone from my high school was now following the @clouddancefest Twitter account. Curious to see what the @clouddancefest timeline actually looked like, I scrolled through it, to see that it was mostly full of tweets to...
The Beauty of Portfolio Careers
Ducks and water. Cats and milk. Tequila and lime. Chips and gravy. The Place and Mabel's. Yorkshire Dance and The Wardrobe. Beer and pretty much everything. Me and sofas. Some things just go together so naturally well. The same goes for the terms "dance artists" and...
From Gracefool to ProDance
Today was the final day of the Gracefool Collective's pilot season of ProDance Leeds, providing thrice-weekly professional dance classes, so it seems to be an auspicious day for them to be the subject of the first of a series of features on regional artist-led...
Enter The BENCH
As we all know, the issue of female choreographers is one which has been haunting the dance industry for many years: while a lot can be said and done about it, not much has been said and even less has been done over the years. Again, as we all know, the root of the...
The Gender Debate At Rambert
The gender debate in contemporary dance is hardly new and has not really explored in depth, but when Rambert offered their programme for their #RambertLive events, including a debate on not only female choreographers, but on how to provide opportunities and...
Ode To A Website: londondance
Over five years ago, Arts Professional magazine approached me about "the sites I wouldn't be without". Five years later, those have been distilled down to two websites, both in their own states of flux: Article19 tweeting today to announce "future changes", and last...
Song For Whoever: On the 2017 NPO Funding Bloodbath
Who do I write this to? I'd originally planned to write this as an "Ode To ACE", but I actually really care for the people I know who work for ACE, and I can't see how they're involved in today's decision-making. Instead, there are some other people who I don't know,...
An EdFringe Artist Is Not Just For Xmas
How I Spent My Summer... (tl;dr: donation link is here: bit.ly/PorridgeFund) I'd assumed that I'd sit out this year's Edinburgh Fringe, as virtually no friends, people I know or even people I'd heard of were planning to participate this year. And then I unexpectedly...
some of our featured artists
Between 2007 and 2018, I’ve showcased and presented work by over 175 independent dance companies and dance artists through Cloud Dance Festival, and other projects Cloud Dance Sundays, Cloud Dance Friends, Blue Cloud Scratch and Made Up North.
Morgann Runacre-Temple
Morgann Runacre-TempleAbout I am a freelance choreographer from London working in ballet, contemporary dance, theatre, film and opera. I have made work for Northern Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Scottish Ballet, English National Ballet, Ballet...
James Wilton Dance
James WiltonAbout James Wilton Dance is a UK based, multi award winning dance company touring super physical, athletically inspiring work nationally and internationally James Wilton Dance was founded in 2010. The company has won awards at the Bern, Hannover and...
John Ross Dance
John RossAbout John Ross Dance was initially set up in 2011 to allow John Ross to explore the connection between theatre and dance and how they can co-exist to tell stories through movement. John has won numerous awards for his choreographic works including The...
Goddard | Nixon Project
Goddard | Nixon Project About The Goddard | Nixon Project was founded in 2009 as a choreographic collaboration between Jonathan Goddard and Gemma Nixon. Jonathan Goddard is a professional dance artist, movement director and choreographer who has worked for most major...
Dam Van Huynh
Dam Van HuynhAbout Developing his own methodology of torso division, Dam has carved out a unique choreographic voice. Selecting moments of everyday life, Dam transfers these elements in his work, expanding gestures towards new potential imagery. The result is a...
Avatara Ayuso
Avatâra AyusoAbout AVATÂRA AYUSO is a choreographer, Artistic Director of AVA DANCE COMPANY, a cultural leader and activist in the dance world. She is also the founder and director of the charity AWA DANCE (Advancing Women’s Aspirations with Dance). She trained in...
Other Stuff I do
Although I no longer spend most of my waking hours on trains, I also focus on the following areas of work
Research
Topics specific to independant dance, especially relating to economic and financial challenges, and industry disparity
Data Analysis
If there’s data to be crunched, I’ve probably already worked on it – especially related to Arts Council funding
Projects
I’ve also worked on a range of additional projects, generally intervention projects about independent dance artists, including a scratch night, open space events, residency schemes, mentorships and more
Here are some social media profiles