My period as an AA2A artist has consolidated new experiences, skills, creative outlook, and my own perception of my work. It has given me time to research both theoretically and practically; be fed with wide-ranging influences from fine art, design, fashion, and performance; and the opportunity to discuss with an experienced mentor both my ideas and practice but that of others. 

I approach my work from a background in Dance Theatre (Laban, 2004). I am interested in the combination of dance and large-scale puppetry, how to use the performer as both puppeteer and puppet and dancer. In my work I explore design, the body and performance through ideas of transformation, duality, perception and recognition. I look specifically at where design and performance merge - using the starting point of how design on the body (puppetry, but also light, sound, video, animation) affects its movement (or our perception of its movement). 

I used my time at NTU to develop my work from a design viewpoint, broaden my influences by researching into art, design, and fashion practices, and immersing myself in these scenes through discussion with students and my wonderful assigned lecturer (Sean Myatt, Theatre Design); attending a wide range of lectures; and generally becoming part of 'the art scene' in Nottingham. I saw the time as a reassessment and clarification of my work, its place in the creative scene, its audience, presentation, and the nature of my working process. For me, the period was most productive in a mental sense – although practically it resulted in a performance piece with NTU students at the Hatch platform, and much experimentation and play with ideas. It has been exactly what I needed to develop my work not just in the short term but more importantly the bigger picture for the long-term.

'Hatch: Undercover'
Performance piece