Cautivas
Process outputs: Who will the project engage and how?
This project will see us broaden ACCA's engagement work as we target four different groups (2x community groups, 1x group of vocational performance students and 1x group of professional artists) which will contribute to the development of the work through their participation in co-creation workshops. Some of the engagement activities will happen with existing groups, and others will be open access and participants recruited through our partner’s audiences, ACCA’s existing reach and new marketing strategies.
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Through this project, ACCA takes a bolder step towards the development of our co-creative practice by integrating both community members and vocational participants into the research and development phase of the work, with their input feeding directly into the final production. This essential progression will enable us to refine and elevate our co-creative approach while laying the foundations for our long-term ambition of embedding the live participation of a community cast within the final version of the show.
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These groups are:​
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1. Adult women and men aged 18+ with experience of social exclusion or at risk of suffering it. We will engage these groups through Dance United Yorkshire working with their pre-existing groups of adults at risk of social exclusion. This activity will include:
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5x creative workshops over Autumn 2025 exploring the transformative powers of the arts.
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OUTPUT 1: 1x internal sharing at the end of the five week process where both ACCA and DUY participants will present the material developed through the project. The sharing will serve as an opportunity to test the material developed in front of an audience and gather first hand feedback from local audiences integrated by the participants' friends and family invited to the sharing.
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OUTPUT 2: Invitation to perform the work in progress in the preview event of CAUTIVAS' on December 11th 2025 at Slung Low alongside the other groups involved in the project.
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After the project: Signposting for further opportunities to engage with ACCA and/or other local performing arts providers, as well as continued dialogue with DUY to develop and understand the future of the partnership.
2. Diverse, intergenerational group of community participants engaged through Leeds People's Theatre and with the marketing and outreach support of Slung Low, Yorkshire Dance, NSCD and ACCA. This activity will involve:
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5x creative workshops over Autumn 2025 exploring Cautivas' narrative through the lenses of dance-theatre
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OUTPUT 1: 1x internal sharing at the end of the five week process where both ACCA and the LPT participants will present the material developed through the project. The sharing will serve as a platform to test the material developed in front of an audience and gather first hand feedback from local audiences integrated by the participants' friends and family invited to the sharing.
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OUTPUT 2: Invitation to perform the work in progress in the preview event of CAUTIVAS' on December 11th 2025 at Slung Low alongside the other groups involved in the project.
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After the project: Signposting for further opportunities to engage with ACCA and/or other local performing arts providers, as well as continued dialogue with LPT to develop and understand the future of the partnership.
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3. Young people studying performing arts at Leeds Conservatoire and NSCD. This activity involve two strands:
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​First strand
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1x week creative lab exploring the narrative and themes of Cautivas, specifically those involved with the artistic resistance, with a group of Y2 students undertaking Musical Theatre studies at Leeds Conservatoire.
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OUTPUT 1: 1x internal sharing at the end of the process where both ACCA and the group will present the material developed through the project. The sharing will serve as a platform to test the material developed in front of an audience and gather first hand feedback from vocational artists students and specialised faculty members at Leeds Conservatoire.
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OUTPUT 2: Invitation to perform the work in progress in the preview event of CAUTIVAS' on December 11th 2025 at Slung Low alongside the other groups involved in the project.
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After the project: Signposting for further opportunities to engage with ACCA and continued dialogue with LCon to develop and understand the future of the partnership.
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Second strand
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1x week long Professional Placement: opportunity for Y3 and/or MA students from Leeds Conservatoire and NSCD to take part in ACCA's creative process.
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OUTPUT: 1x internal sharing at the end of the week to present the material developed in front of an audience and gather first hand feedback from professionals of the performing arts sector.
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Invitation to attend CAUTIVAS' preview event on December 11th 2025 at Slung Low to view and feedback directly into the work developed through the project.
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After the project: Signposting for further opportunities to engage with ACCA.
4. Local artists, including early-career professionals and established creatives in and around Leeds. We will engage this group through marketing and PR support from partners, as well as through ACCA's social media channels, newsletter and website.
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20x Free Morning Professional Class throughout the project hosted at NSCD, LCon and Yorkshire Dance.
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OUPUT: Invitation to weekly sharings of the work-in-progress -six sharings in total, one per week in the studio- designed to gather feedback that will directly inform the refinement and rehearsal of the show.
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Invitation to attend CAUTIVAS' preview event on December 11th 2025 at Slung Low to view and feedback directly into the work developed through the project.
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LONG TERM ACTIVITY FOR PARTICIPANTS: The creative workshops facilitated with Engagement Groups 1, 2 and 3 throughout this stage of the project will have continuity over the following phase. During the subsequent creation process, we will have a second round of workshops with the three collectives with the aim to develop the previously researched material and co-create a series of scenes to be embedded in the final show either as audio, video or live participation. Through the orchestration of a communal effort lead by ACCA, community participants (DUY & LPT), vocational arts students (LCon & NSCD) and a team of professional experts (ACCA & collaborators) will work collaboratively to devise and assemble the final show, honouring the fundamental believe behind Cautivas: ART IS A POWERFUL TOOL TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, ACTION PURPOSEFUL COLLABORATIONS AND MOTIVATE SOCIAL CHANGE!
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PROMOTIONAL OUTPUTS:
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Behind the scenes video collage: Throughout the project, all participants will be invited to contribute to its documentation. They’ll be encouraged to use their personal phones to capture behind-the-scenes moments during rehearsals. Using this participant-recorded footage, ACCA will produce a 2–4 minute collage video that serves as a visual archive of the co-creative process developed with each group. By empowering everyone to decide what and how to film, we aim to honour the collaborative spirit at the heart of the project.
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Professional promotional material: A professional videographer and photographer will document the preview event of CAUTIVAS on December 11th, 2025, at Slung Low. The resulting high-quality promotional materials will be used to showcase the work, amplify its reach, and engage potential venues and partners for the next phase of the project.
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Why is it important to support and fund this project now?
Over the last decades, increasing concerns around immigration, national identity and economic instability have contributed to the re-emergence and fast growth of far-right movements globally. According to an analysis by PEW Research Centre, 'across Europe, populists – especially those on the ideological right – have been winning larger shares of the vote in recent legislative elections'(1). Countries like Italy and Sweden are currently ruled by democratically appointed far-right governments, whilst many other European regions (France, Hungary, Poland, Germany, Spain and Finland amongst others) are seeing extremist formations rapidly growing in popularity and parliamentary representation. As explained by the independent and nonpartisan organisation Council on Foreign Relations, 'one of the most significant implications of the far-right surge in Europe has been its normalisation in contemporary politics.'(2)
In the boundary between Europe and Asia, Vladimir Putin has marginalised and repressed any form of opposition since his rise to power over twenty years ago, gradually establishing a dictatorial regime in Russia. Under his ruling civil liberties have been increasingly suppressed and the democratic institutions have been steadily weakened. Across the sea, Donald Trump is back in office and planning to ‘Make America Great Again’ by building a physical wall along the US-Mexico border and, in India, violence against religious minorities is currently fostered and endorsed by the ruling government of Narendra Modi.
These examples reflect broader global trends with rising nationalism and anti-democratic sentiments challenging established political norms, institutions and social harmony.​​​ As noted by UNESCO's Framework for Arts and Education 'in a context of rising inequalities, armed conflict, disinformation, misinformation, hate speech, racism, xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination that fuel social divisions and hamper sustainable development, it is necessary to strengthen efforts to reimagine and shape a peaceful, just, and sustainable future for all.'(3) In the same document, the leading international organisation identifies that 'culture is at the heart of what makes us human, and provides the foundation of our values, choices and relationships with one another and with nature, endowing us with critical thinking, a sense of identity, and the ability to respect and embrace otherness.'(3) Furthermore, in their research Culture and Democracy:The evidence, the European Union reclaims ''the concrete link between culture and democracy' and states that 'citizens who participate in cultural activities are much more likely to engage in civic and democratic life.'(4)
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In this context of extremism and global polarisation, it is urgent and our duty to use the power of our artistic language as a tool to generate counter acting narratives that challenge hate and segregation, to instigate critical thinking and to help nurture empathy and cohesion amongst our local communities. By fostering cooperation and inclusion through artistic co-creation, is this project’s ambition to raise awareness of the current societal climate and inspire change.
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Sources of information:
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PEW Research Centre: 'Populists in Europe – especially those on the right – have increased their vote shares in recent elections'
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Council on Foreign Relations: 'How Far-Right Election Gains Are Changing Europe'
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As recipients of the political and social climate described above, ACCA feels that this project will greatly benefit the groups engaged in it from being involved in the activity as:
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Artistic Innovation and Entertainment: Offers unique, engaging performances that foster connection and joy.
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Learning: Promotes education and cultural awareness through exposure to diverse narratives and concepts, from a female perspective. Students taking formal courses will gain sector specific skills to strengthen their portfolios and employability upon graduation.
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Health and Wellbeing: Enhances mental health in participants and audiences by fostering creativity and building social connections.
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Community Cohesion: Strengthens community ties by celebrating inclusivity and shared cultural experiences.
With arts funding increasingly scarce, supporting this project is essential to sustaining ACCA Dance Theatre's operations and ensuring its continued contribution to cultural and social vitality.
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We will know we’ve achieved our goals through a robust process of ongoing evaluation and feedback, ensuring the project is impactful and meets its aims:
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Throughout the creative process, we will document key moments with video and photos, sharing these regularly with participants and partners. This will capture the development of the work and ensure transparency while providing valuable content for future reflection and outreach.
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During the sharing, we will actively collect feedback from audiences through discussions, and written feedback forms. This will allow us to gauge audience reactions, understanding how the themes of the work resonate and measuring emotional and intellectual engagement.
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We will hold regular meetings and check-ins with the artistic team, producer, and community participants throughout the project. These discussions will allow us to adapt the project as needed, ensuring that we remain on track to meet our objectives and address any challenges that arise.
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We will collect data on key metrics, such as social media engagement, participation numbers, and EDI information allowing us to track the reach and impact of the project in real time.
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Built into the project’s schedule, we will have dedicated time for reflection and evaluation with our partners. This will provide space to discuss what went well, identify areas for improvement, and consider next steps for future projects.
About the project
ACCA Dance Theatre have previously received funding from Arts Council Project Grants in 2021 for Cautivas R&D (ACPG-00442896), in 2022 for Occupational Hazard Development & Preview (NLPG-00559013) and in 2023 for the creation and pilot tour of Occupational Hazard (NLPG-00682552) under ACCA’s co-director Charlotte Arnold’s individual applicant profile (50911950).
This project: Cautivas: Creative, Engagement and Audience Development is a necessary next step in the development of ACCA’s co-creative practices, engagement & audience development strategies and a key stepping stone towards the subsequent creation of the company's second full length dance-theatre show.
The project will allow us to:
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Pick up the project we initially researched in Autumn 2021 and investigate the themes that inform the narrative from the lenses of the current political, social and artistic context of 2025-26.
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Establish new partnerships with Dance United Yorkshire, Leeds Conservatoire and Leeds People's Theatre broadening our pool of collaborators and strengthening ACCA's engagement & audience development strategies.
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Develop existing partnerships with Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Yorkshire Dance and Slung Low to nurture long-lasting relationships in the Yorkshire region and the performing arts sector, by offering high quality engagement opportunities to undergraduate students and freelance professionals.
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Work collaboratively with a team of 16 professionals, including 2x female dance artists and 2x female performance artists to elevate the quality of the work drawing on their years of professional experience to support our vision.
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Work with a marketing expert to establish in-house marketing processes and design a strategy for the next steps of Cautivas specifically and ACCA's trajectory more broadly, as a key step-change for the company to reach more people with their work.
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Explore processes for the creation and delivery of performance designed to be shown in non conventional theatre spaces, taking a step away from traditional performance venues and towards the democratisation of the access to the art.
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Host a sharing event in Autumn 2025 to showcase the scenes and outputs developed through the project and in collaboration with colleagues, partners and engagement groups.​​​
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Consolidate our working relationship with producer Rachel Jean Birch from Moving Art Management - a female producer who straddles the North of England and Catalonia/Spain, mirroring the dual nationality of ACCA Dance Theatre and our future aims to work internationally between the UK and Spain.
About the show
​​Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cautivas reflects on how, in moments of isolation and uncertainty, the arts became a vital lifeline for people globally. In 2021, supported by Arts Council England Project Grants and partnerships with Slung Low, Yorkshire Dance, ProDanceLeeds and The Dance Studio Leeds, ACCA received ACE funding to initially Research & Develop the idea
Set in a dystopian world, the piece imagines a world where all arts and culture have been outlawed by an authoritarian regime and interacting with any form of art is an illegal and punishable activity. In this world, a member of the artistic resistance abducts a high ranking politician and attempts to rehabilitate them back to the cause of the arts.
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Using comedy, physicality, character work and voice as key elements, the piece explores themes of censorship, resistance & authoritarianism, isolation within isolation, conflict & reconciliation, and transformation.
Aligning with ACCA's commitment to championing female narratives, the work will challenge conventional perceptions of femininity and androgyny, playing with bending gender roles and rigid stereotypes.
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Today, as global far-right movements threaten freedom of expression and democracy around the globe, this project feels more urgent than ever. The work will reclaim, defend and celebrate the transformative power of the arts as a tool for critical thinking, free speech, connection, and dialogue.
Upon completion, Cautivas will be an hour long performance devised for non conventional theatre spaces. The work will feature 2 professional performers and will count with the participation - through video, audio and/or live performance - of a community cast integrated by three engagement groups defined in the section below.
We intend on touring the work across England from Summer 2026.
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*​Click to watch Cautivas' R&D 2021 SHARING*
Our Partners & Collaborators
Stefania Pinato / Dance artist
Stefania is an Italian/Brazilian dance artist, and rehearsal & movement director based in Leeds, Uk. She trained at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance and at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, by taking part in the post-graduate performing company VERVE where she received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2016.
Within her dance career, she has mostly been involved in working as a freelance dance artist, devising, performing and touring works worldwide with companies and choreographers like: Michael Keegan-Dolan (Teać Damsa), Gary Clarke Company, Public Acts (National Theatre), Léa Tirabasso, Rebecca Evans (Pell Ensemble), Anton Lachky, Valentina Golfieri, Jamaal Burkmar (Extended Play), Douglas Thorpe (mad dogs dance theatre), Rod Dixon (Red Ladder Thatere Company), Susanne Thomas (Seven Sisters Group), Jaz Woodcock-Stewart (Antler Theatre) and Wayne McGregor (ABBA Voyage). Stefania has been working as a rehearsal director and choreographer assistant on 'Bubble Up’ by Gary Clarke (Great Exhibition of the North 2018), 'Queer New World’ by Jake Evans, 'Suzy Homemaker’ by Erica Mulkern, 'Zoomers, Boomers and Snowflakes’ by Annie Kelleher and Pirates! By Joan Clevillé (Scottish Dance Theatre).
As a maker Stefania’s work is issue-based, she wants to address human-social conditions and find ways to use dance as activism to invite and create conversation around taboo and stigmatized topics. With her collaborator, Amarnah Osajivbe-Amuludun, she is currently creating WOMB PARTY — a dance theatre piece about abortion and reproductive rights.
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Ashling McCann / Dance artist
Ashling is a contemporary dance artist and physical theatre practitioner. She trained with Springs Dance Company and at Bird College before completing a BA (Hons) in Contemporary Dance at Newcastle College with a First. Much of her work explores the interplay between sound and movement. Her solo ‘Moving Sound' performed at Summer Stages Festival, Lisbon was inspired by the physicality of sound. Most recently she has developed a solo project during a Creative UK residency performed at Industrial Coast events and Sonic Arts Week. She also performs with Surface Area Dance Theatre and Worldbeaters Music and facilitates dance workshops that encourage the enjoyment of music and moving together.
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Carrieanne Vivianette / Performance artist
Leeds-based performance maker Carrieanne Vivianette has created and delivered performance work for the public for 20 years. Originally working in community theatre, she moved into a Theatre Studies foundation degree (2007) developing her knowledge of performance and directing which contributed to her later success as a director for Leeds Arts Centre at the Carriageworks, Leeds, and her own project work. Following the creation of her own company and two productions, Carrieanne received Arts Council funding (2020) to direct and produce a large-scale company research and development project What are you Hungry For? live in Leeds and for communities online. She has received support for directing through the Young Vic Directors Programme (2020) and JMK Trust mentorship (2021).
Notably, Carrieanne's Bachelors degree in Contemporary Performance Practice (2009) allowed her to realise herself as a solo performance maker which opened up an ongoing study into processes of characterisation, improvisation, poetical text and structures of voice and movement, her work is concerned with authentic embodiment of ideas and has been described as 'pathic and urgent'. Her solo practice was strengthened during her Masters degree in Theatre Studies (2012). Now as a freelance performance artist Carrieanne collaborates with companies and venues confidently creating bespoke work for the project at hand, she has recently created and delivered Tortoise Mind, a performance for Leeds Art Gallery to coincide with their exhibition Found Cities, Lost Objects.
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Michaela Sort / Performance artist
Michaela is a professional actor from Yorkshire who found coming to acting later in life has meant she has a wealth of work and life experiences which she is able to draw on. She loves stories about communities, real stories and people’s journeys.
Michaela is a strong advocate of the #dontcastherout campaign for equitable roles for women over 40 in the industry and also hearing regional voices on stage and screen. Older women have such rich life stories to tell and are more than just a supporting role. Representation matters.
Recent theatre performances include 2 new plays - ‘Cashy C’s’ a site specific play set in a cash converter shop in Bradford/Keighley where she multi/rolled 3 parts spanning a 50 year age span giving her the chance to use her love for physical theatre and also ‘Residue’ at The Vault Festival in London with all female led theatre company Speak Up Theatre, giving a voice and empowerment to women who have suffered abuse. She loves to work with new writing and has worked on 4 R&D projects this year working closely with writers, directors and movement coaches, helping break down scripts, devising and developing characters.
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Maya Carroll / Guest Teacher
Maya will deliver company class to ACCA and the Leeds Dance Community, getting the company’s dancers ready for rehearsal and strengthening ACCA’s outreach and connection to the dance community in the city.
Maya is a Freelance Dance Artist based in Leeds and a graduate of the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, completing the BPA(Hons) degree and Verve, the Postgraduate Performance Company. In her professional career, Maya has had the pleasure of working and collaborating with artists such as Emma Critchley, Liam Francis, Bridie Gane, Extended Play, Petri Delights, Mad Dogs Dance and Red Ladder Theatre Company, Matthew Robinson, Night People Events, Ruby Portus and Henry Ward as well as Wilhelmina Ojanen and Amy Voris as a part of Mobius Dance. Recently, Maya was also a cast member in Ben Duke's ‘Ruination’ at The Royal Opera House Linbury Theatre.
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Julie Burrow / Script writer
Julie is a Manchester-based writer-performer making lo-fi, colourful, performances. She is excited by the absurd, particularly in everyday life - the sadness and restrictiveness of being a person in society - bold female characters and challenging expectations placed on women. She has received commissions to make strange comedy performances from the Lowry, HOME, and Manchester cabaret nights such as FLIM NITE, and she's currently writing her first solo show about a 6ft showbiz moth. Aside from writing for live comedy, commissions include a radio play for Alphabetti Theatre, an uncanny folk film for Les Enfants Terribles’ digital show The Prism, and a play for 24:7 Theatre Festival.
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Mark Baker /Lighting Design & technical support
Mark has worked in theatre for 35 years, starting off in stage management before becoming a lighting technician at the Newcastle Playhouse. He was appointed as Production Manager for the Newcastle Dance Festival in 1990 and has specialised in lighting for dance ever since. He designed and toured nationally and internationally with Miranda Tufnell and dance companies such as Bi Ma and David Massingham Dance. Since joining NSCD he has lit work by many leading choreographers including Hofesh Schecter, Mark Baldwin, Wayne MacGregor, Ben Wright, Darshan SinghBhuller, Lea Anderson, Henri Oguike and Kim Brandstrup. He has over 20 years’ experience of teaching lighting and sound for stage, stage management and video production at all levels. He also works as a digital filmmaker and has produced videos for Phoenix Dance Theatre and Balbir Singh. Mark has a Higher Diploma in Film & Video Production and an MA in Film Studies from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
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Jake Evans / Assistant director
Originally from the Wirral and now based in Manchester, Jake started dancing at a community youth theatre before going on to train at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance where received both his Bachelors and Masters Degree (Verve 16). During this time he performed in the UK, the USA and Europe working with choreographers Angus Balbernie, Rod Dixon, Odette Hughes, Dam van Huyn, Anton Lacky, Efrosini Protopapa and Athena Vahla. Jake has also worked with companies including Gary Clarke Company, Vincent Dance Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, Shaper/Caper, and Opera North.
In 2021 Jake was a recipient of Kala Sangam’s Back to the Studio Scheme and embarked on the creation of his own solo project ‘Queer New World’, combining his skills in dance, drag and poetry. Further development of the work was funded by Arts Council England, and was subsequently selected to be extended and platformed at Northern Connections in Spring 2022. Jake’s poetry appears in ‘Queer Icons: A Queer Bodies Anthology’ published by Broken Sleep in 2022. Jake is also a drag artist called Blyss, performing at events and cabarets throughout the UK and shows including Harry May Bedell’s ’The End is Queer’. @itspureblyss
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William Hearne / Composer
William KZ is a Manchester-based composer/producer/performer. Since graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music, he has forged a rich variety of artistic collaborations including his band Bethlehem Casuals, a solo project and as a composer, this has resulted in award-winning film scores with Woolgather Films, a collection of theatrical productions, and multidisciplinary production company, It’s Casual.
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Josh Scott / Videographer
Joshua Scott trained at Trinity Laban and VERVE15, before working and touring internationally as a performer for companies such as Black Box Dance Company (Denmark), Agitart (Spain), Jose Agudo Company (UK), Roisin Wheelan (IRL) amongst others. During the pandemic, he received an ACE DYCP grant to retrain as a videographer and has since worked all over the world capturing movement and people.
Instagram: @roadsidefictions @joshscott_93
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Elly Welford / Photographer
Elly Welford is a freelance photographer based in Leeds. She graduated from Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2019 and was an apprentice of Motionhouse Dance company until 2020. Since then, she has worked on a variety of projects and campaigns for dance companies, choreographers and higher educational institutions.
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Rachel Birch - Movement Art Management / Producer
Rachel will manage budget, spending and cash flow, issue contracts and collect evaluation date to ensure the smooth running of the project.
Rachel Birch is co-director and founder of Moving Art Management (MAM), and is a freelance producer, teacher, dancer and creative entrepreneur, specialising in dance.MAM produce excellent art work and champion talented creatives through consultation and creation of dance and cultural activities, both in the UK and internationally. We support our collaborators ambitions to create, realise and thrive. Based between Newcastle in the North of England and Barcelona in Catalonia/Spain we specialise in bespoke producing support for artists and companies, as well as delivering a programme of scratch platforms. We provide professional development opportunities, financial bursaries, resources, mentoring and educational packages.​
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Partners:
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About Us
ACCA are Leeds based dance theatre duo Anna Cabré-Verdiell Bosch and Charlotte Arnold. ACCA first met during their studies at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, and as they both shared backgrounds in acting and voice training from an early age, moved towards a multi-disciplinary, physical theatre practice. After some time investing in exploring and playing, ACCA was born and they began formally collaborating together at the start of 2020.
Led by two female-identifying creative leaders, ACCA makes work that reflects and comments on the contemporary society via funny, thought-provoking dance theatre performances and participation activities. Their style has a physical backbone, drawing on character and conceptuality to investigate the topics which inspire each project. As a trilingual company, ACCA weaves both Spanish and English culture and narratives into the work, as well as championing and celebrating femininity. In addition, the collective has an existing practice working with different community groups that will ensure the facilitation of a safer, intentional space for co-creation, both Anna and Charlotte delivering across Leeds to a variety of ages and abilities.
ACCA is a resident company at Slung Low. Previously commissioned by Ilkley Literature Festival to make the short dance film EVEolution, they also won the Leeds Summer Group Show in 2020 with their dance film ACCA Danst, and received ACE funding for a R&D of Cautivas, a new project for 2021. In 2022, ACCA joined a cross borders collaboration with Dortmund based company Vier-D. creating Femxle Spaces as part of Leeds 2023, Dortmund Festival and funded by Cultural Bridge/Dortmund City Council. Their collaboration continued with a new international project My Body is My Castle telling stories about female bodies over 2024. Also in 2024, Occupational Hazard, hailed by The Stage as “deeply moving and furiously funny”, embarked in an ACE funded national pilot tour and premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe, programmed by Dance Base and Assembly with support from the Keep It Fringe fund in 2024.
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Ahead of 2025, ACCA Dance Theatre is planning a new trans-generational collaboration with Vier-D, Heroines, about women who have been unknown, undermined, or uncelebrated throughout history by giving them a voice and sharing their stories. ACCA is also recuperating their 2021 R&D Cautivas, which sees a world where arts and culture are forbidden, and with the intention to reimagining it with fresh creative perspectives and deeper community involvement.​​​
Letters of Support
Previous work
- Occupational Hazard -
After receiving two rounds of funding from Arts Council England Project Grants for the development & preview and creation & pilot tour of Occupational Hazard, ACCA developed the piece into a full length show which premiered in June 2024 at Seven Arts in Leeds, and embarked on a pilot national tour around the UK.
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Occupational Hazard follows the day of two air hostesses Becky and Linda, ACCAirways’ creme de la creme on a low budget airline where casual sexism and prescriptive codes of conducts are routine. Fusing choreography, comedy and clowning, Occupational Hazard, though at times tongue in cheek to entertain a plane full of passengers, is inspired by the #metoo effervescence of recent years. The show delves deeper than the interplay between Linda and Becky, as they navigate consent and unsolicited touch as a female in the service industry, asking audience members to ride the waves of their individual emotional journeys. The underlining message of the show being that female allyship, having a voice and using it are essential to calling out the systemic. Becky and Linda, initially not friends, but bolstered by their shared experience declare a feminist emergency by the end of the show, and although the flight is scheduled to travel nowhere, perhaps lands somewhere in the land of empowerment and action.
Using the lens of comedy and dance theatre in Occupational Hazard, ACCA aims to educate all that it's a fundamental human right that women should be respected, and that everyone (yes everyone) should be a feminist.
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Also in 2024, the show premiered at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it was programmed by Dance Base and Assembly and received support from the Keep It Fringe fund in 2024. The piece gained a four star review from The Stage who described the
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*Click to watch Occupational Hazard's FULL SHOW*
- My Body is My Castle -
ACCA Dance Theatre have been collaborating and developing a partnership with Dortmund based company Vier.D since 2022. After a successful collaborative creation (Femxle Spaces) over 2023, the two companies got back together in 2024 to devise a new collaborative, intergenerational project: My Body is My Castle. Each company brought together four women from their respective cities, Leeds and Dortmund, alongside two professional dancers and two directors. Over a week, the ensemble worked together to devise an hour long piece that centred around the experiences of inhabiting a female body.
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My Body is My Castle looks at the female body, its complexity, and its perception as well as strengthening and empowering female voices and opinions. During the project, the ten women shared stories about their bodies, how they relate to it and empowered through the creation of a contemporary dance performance incorporating spoken word, dance and physical-theatre on stage to champion and celebrate the female body.
The show premiered in Dortmund, Germany, in November 2024 but we would also like to bring it to in Leeds, UK in 2025 subject to funding.
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A second ensemble integrated by a community cast of ten women aged 18 to 70 joined some of the rehearsals to learn specific sections of the performance, taking the total number of performers on stage to eighteen.
*Click to watch INTERVIEWS with PARTICIPANTS*
- FEMXLE SPACES -
Femxle Spaces was the first collaboration between Leeds based ACCA Dance Theatre and Dortmund based Vier-D collective. Devised between 2022-23, the piece is an interdisciplinary and intergenerational performance project lead by Vier-D and with the cooperation of ACCA.
Inspired by the lived experiences of twelve female identifying interviewees from the twin cities of Dortmund and Leeds, the project celebrates the power, voices and efficacy of womxn who have taken their place and found their space in their cities.
Through the stories the womxn shared during our conversations with them, we encounter stories of feminist solidarity, present and past movements for efficacy and self-determination in institutions, public spaces as well as within family structures.
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Femxle Spaces was performed as part of Leeds 2023 City of Culture, Dortmund Festival 2023 and funded by Cultural Bridge/Dortmund City Council.
*Click to watch Femxle Spaces' TRAILER & Documentary*
- EVEolution -
EVEolution is a short film by ACCA commissioned by Ilkley Literature Festival 2021. Playing with the iconography of fashion shows and drag queen aesthetics, the piece explores the natural evolutionary series from a comedic, dance-theatre approach. First we meet Amoeba, a single cell organism not quite sure what’s going on, then the slinky, fin flapping Fish and the ever spiky Reptile as she prowls across the stage. Jumping next to Primate, who swings through the final stages of human development, we settle last with Eve in her recognisable human form as she contemplates the dilemma of eating the forbidden fruit. Blending fashion, theatre and dance with a sprinkle of evolutionary biology, life and the journey to EVEolution, is a catwalk.
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*Click to watch EVEolution*
​- ACCA Danst -
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ACCA’s second piece, ACCA Danst, created during lockdown, is a pastiche of Rosas Danst Rosas, which sees two dancers, in two different houses moving through the same choreography to a repeating Bulerias beat. ACCA Danst started as a simple tribute to the iconic piece of choreography by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, but quickly became a social commentary of lockdown blues and the film format reinforced this notion. The film was one of 38 works selected to take part in the Leeds Summer Group Show exhibition 2020, and was chosen as one of six show winners, receiving a cash prize and an interview with The State of the Arts magazine. The exhibition also reached over 3000 views during the course of the month.
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*Click to watch ACCA DANST*
ACCA Co-Creation / Audience Outreach Work
- Autumn 2024 - Occupational Hazard's Female identifying Community Curtain Raiser
ACCA facilitated a four week co-creative process to devise a curtain raiser that kicked start the company's show on the performance at Slung Low in September 2024. The community cast was integrated by eight female identifying members of the community aged 22 to 65, and was culturally diverse. Through the co-creative process the group devised a thirty minute immersive and interactive prelude within the show's world, and opened ACCA's performance. Over the four week journey, working towards a creative purpose and a common goal helped the participants created strong bonds, work collaboratively and have fun in a safe environment.​
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“I loved being a part of the curtain raiser- it was a fantastic experience. During rehearsals, Anna and Charlotte created a really safe environment to explore characterisation and it was encouraging to see such a diverse range of strong, creative and incredible women! Having struggled with the concept of improv before, I was guided expertly into creating my character and had so much fun during the rehearsal process. I felt confident and really nurtured to step out of my comfort zone. As someone who experiences social anxieties, particularly how people perceive me, to be able to feel I can let go and be utterly ridiculous in a safe environment was really therapeutic and has taught me more about myself. Thanks again for this opportunity and for touching on such a pertinent topic."
Emma Holt, Cast member
"This was my first experience working in an immersive dance-theatre style curtain raiser. It would not have been possible without the lovely cast that ACCA brought together! There was space for everyone to be creative, authentic and funny. Kudos to Anna and Charlotte who guided us over 4 weeks to build characters and group energy. I believe this was a great way to immerse the audience into the world of 'ACCA Airways'. From the moment they stepped into the venue, they became a part of this world. There were moments of laughter, truth and empathy which made for a great experience overall."
Shibani Jatar, Cast member
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"Thank you for letting me be part of the curtain raiser. As a domestic abuse survivor I normally take a while to feel comfortable but with this group I felt comfortable straight away and it was a fantastic experience. I learnt so much and everyone was so supportive, encouraging and really felt part of a cohesive team."
Debra Lane, Cast member
- Autumn 2024 - Occupational Hazard's Educational Engagement Workshops
ACCA facilitated one day of outreach with year 9 and 10 students at surrounding the themes of Occupational Hazard at Stowmarket High School facilitating a dance-theatre workshop, a creative writing workshop and a Q&A.
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"The workshop was beneficial to our school in many ways. Students were able to engage with the arts in a new style (dance and movement) which we do not offer on our curriculum. For our year 10's it was engaging as they had an industry professional in leading a workshop but also inspirational to hear the success story of getting into the industry and making it your main career. It was beneficial to year 9's in the same way but also provided them with an opportunity to be with like minded students who love, enjoy and engage well with the arts. Unfortunately, in mixed classes at KS3 this isn't often the case as lots of students do not want to take the subject further when they have the choice. Many students who are talented and enjoy it are at risk of falling off the wagon as such because of their peers. This provided our students with a taster of what they can do when they focus, give in to the arts and their talents. Our students thoroughly enjoyed the day and the consensus is that they wanted more time with you!"​
Natasha Rea, Drama Teacher, Stowmarket High School
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​​​​​​​​​​​​​- Winter 2021 & 2022 - Holy Trinity Primary School
ACCA facilitated a six weeks co-creative project with 60 Year 5 students at Holy Trinity Primary School in Leeds. The groups were mixed gender, and ethnicity and due to the effects of the pandemic had had minimal exposure to dance, and even less exposure to contemporary dance.
These sessions fed into the curriculum focus of Space for the half term, using movement, voice work and creativity to enhance their learning. Over the project ACCA worked collaboratively with the students to develop narrative, characters and movement material. Due to covid restrictions this culminated in 2 x 5 minutes films which were shared with the rest of the pupils, teachers and parents as well as feeding into their overall studies for the half term.
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*Click to watch Space Project*
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- Winter 2022 - Occupational Hazard's Educational Engagement Workshops
ACCA lead two days of outreach with young people surrounding the themes of Occupational Hazard at Stowmarket High School and Norwich City College through dance theatre workshops, creative writing workshops, sharings and Q&A.
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"The workshops that ACCA led throughout the day provided students with a variety of knowledge, practical activity and joy! The workshops were fun, bringing students together from different year groups and different subjects to work together in a creative environment. Each student was able to engage in some way throughout the day because you offered a vast range of information and experiences. The day was very educational, providing students with information about the industry, creating work, marketing, creating a business but also about the important topics that you are aiming to educate your audience on, through your performance. This was particularly useful for my BTEC Performing Arts students who have to understand the 'artistic intention and purpose' of a performance and you provided them with an excellent opportunity to see a snippet of live theatre."
​Natasha Rea, Drama Teacher, Stowmarket High School
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- Autumn 2022 - Occupational Hazard's Community Curtain Raiser
ACCA lead a four week co-creation process to devise the performance of a fifteen minute curtain raiser that preluded the preview of Occupational Hazard. The curtain raiser was created in collaboration with a cast of fifteen members of the community and successfully opened the preview of Occupational Hazard in December 2023. Through the process, ACCA had the opportunity to further develop audiences in SL & Leeds collaborating w/ local communities to make & perform their own dance-theatre piece - allowing diverse intergenerational participants to build social ties through artistic collaboration in their local community.​​​​​​​​
- Spring 2022 - Slung Low Community College
ACCA led a three week physical-theatre co-creative workshop through Slung Low's Community College. The 12 participants were ethnically diverse, inter-generational and with varying exposure to contemporary dance. These workshops fed directly into ACCA's established work with south Leeds audiences, and strengthened their connection with Slung Low's existing participants.
Participants worked collaboratively to develop movement scores, characters and choreography with props. Facilitated by ACCA, the participants had an autonomy over their roles, building experience in making creative choices that they could realise through movement and voice. The three weeks of workshops testbedded how ACCA could develop a curtain raiser for Occupational Hazard and culminated in a five minute section that would prelude the main duet.
Both experiences have been extremely useful and informative for ACCA, in order to develop our co-creation skills and sharpen the specific approaches when working with different demographics and abilities. Furthermore, these sessions have allowed us to explore how to co-create and a curtain raiser for our piece 'Occupational Hazard' in collaboration with different community casts.
ACCA Facilitates
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Both Anna and Charlotte are highly passionate movement facilitators.
During its five years of existence, the company has delivered sessions for Leeds Conservatoire, working with both their BA and MA cohorts, NSCD CAT Scheme, Norwich College, as well as facilitating session in primary and secondary schools and community groups.
​As an independent practitioner, Anna works as a lecturer at both the Northern School of Contemporary Dance and Leeds Conservatoire, as well as being a core tutor at NSCD Centre for Advanced Training programme. Charlotte works as CAT Outreach Co-ordinator at NSCD and is an integral member of the Learning & Participation department of the school, delivering off-site workshops in primary and secondary schools and in house sessions through NSCD's Youth Technique and Adult Improvers groups.
Other teaching clients include The Dance Studio Leeds, Dark Horse Theatre, Leeds Beckett University, Northern Ballet Academy, Kala Sangam or DanceEast amongst others.
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In November 2020 both Anna and Charlotte were asked to take over on the running of ProDance Leeds - Leeds professional dance classes programme - as part of a trio with dance artist and producer João Maio. They were part of the directorial team until the programme ceased its operations in 2023.
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With the lockdown easing over summer 2020, ACCA opened up weekly company classes in partnership with The Dance Studio Leeds. The aim of the sessions was to offer a space for professionals in and around Leeds to come together to connect and practice. Over the course of September and October2020 the classes gathered a total of sixty-five professional who joined in.
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Writing Work
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Another strand of ACCA’s work is their writing practice. On one side, ACCA’s blog is a space for Anna and Charlotte to comment on daily life through creative, critical and thoughtful pieces of writing.
On another note, as writing is an aspect of their collaboration that they were looking to further develop, in autumn 2020 ACCA launched an online magazine under the title Artychoke Zine. The purpose behind this seasonal publication is to emphasise and showcase arts and culture as extraordinary tools of and for resistance. Over the course of two years and ten issues, Artychoke has brought together over sixty artists and art collectives from a multiplicity of disciplines such as illustration, poetry, photography, tattoo art, motion design, dance, music, embroidered art, creative writing, textile art or graphic design to mention some. With resistance as the core subject of the zine, each edition has been dedicated to the exploration of a specific theme; the politics of the pandemic, the climate crisis, female energy, displacement or migration to name a few. Artychoke's Winter Issue 2022 was part of The Institute of Everything project by Fevered Sleep in collaboration with Clifton Green Primary School in York; the school's Year 3 students explored creativity by the hand of professional artists from a variety of disciplines over a period of three months, and the results of their explorations were collected under Artychoke's winter issue 2022, with its content being entirely created by the children.
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Since its launch Artychoke Zine has had a digital reach of over 18, 000 people.
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