Heroines
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 aged 18+ with experience of social exclusion or at risk of suffering it. We will engage this group through Dance United Yorkshire, working with their Bradford Women's Company pre-existing group which consists of adult women at risk of social exclusion. This activity will include:​
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5x creative workshops over Summer 2026 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 August 15th 2026 at Slung Low alongside the other groups involved in the project.
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After the project: signposting to further opportunities for participants to engage with ACCA and other local performing arts providers. In parallel, we will maintain an ongoing dialogue with Dance United Yorkshire (DUY) to shape the future of our partnership, with the shared ambition of involving the group in the full creation, premiere, and pilot tour of the show.
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 August 15th 2026 at Slung Low alongside the other groups involved in the project.
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After the project: signposting to further opportunities for participants to engage with ACCA and other local performing arts providers. In parallel, we will maintain an ongoing dialogue with LPT to shape the future of our partnership, with the shared ambition of involving the group in the full creation, premiere, and pilot tour of the show.
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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 August 15th 2026 at Slung Low alongside the other groups involved in the project.
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After the project: signposting to further opportunities for participants to engage with ACCA and other local performing arts providers. In parallel, we will maintain an ongoing dialogue with Leeds Conservatoire to shape the future of our partnership, with the shared ambition of involving the group in the full creation, premiere, and pilot tour of the show.
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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 August 15th 2026 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 August 15th 2026 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?
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 HazardDevelopment & 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).
The project Heroines: Co-creation, Engagement and Cross-cultural Audience & Partnership Development represents a crucial next step in ACCA’s commitment to embedding co-creative practices, placing collaboration between professional artists and community participants at the core of our process. It also furthers our aim to foster cross-cultural exchange—both by expanding our reach to new audiences beyond national borders and by investing in sustained partnerships with professional collaborators across Europe. Additionally, the project continues to champion female narratives, a central thread in ACCA’s artistic identity and creative vision.
Taking place over 2025/26, this project will enable ACCA Dance Theatre to:
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Complete a trilogy of female-centric works co-created with long-term German partner Vier.D, consolidating our international collaboration and deepening cross-cultural exchange between the two companies.
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Position ACCA as a sector leader by taking full responsibility for project management, artistic direction, and producing—enhancing the company’s capacity to lead larger creative teams and deliver productions at increased scale.
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Advance our commitment to embedding co-creative practice by expanding the involvement of both professional artists and community participants in the creation and performance of the new work.
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Establish a new partnership with Leeds People’s Theatre, broadening our network of collaborators and strengthening ACCA’s approach to audience engagement and development.
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Deepen existing partnerships with Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Yorkshire Dance, and Slung Low, contributing to sector development in the Yorkshire region through meaningful engagement with undergraduate students and freelance professionals.
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Collaborate with an intergenerational team of 14 professionals, including three female dance artists and three female performance artists, drawing on their diverse experiences to enrich the creative process and artistic quality of the work.
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Explore co-creation and presentation in non-traditional performance spaces, supporting our ambition to democratise access to the arts and engage audiences beyond conventional theatre settings.
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Host two performance events in Autumn 2026 to premiere the new work, in collaboration with partners, artists, and community participants involved in its creation.
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Consolidate our relationship with producer Rachel Jean Birch (Moving Art Management)—a female producer working across the North of England and Catalonia—reflecting ACCA’s dual-national identity and future international ambitions between the UK and Spain.
Our Partners & Collaborators
Birgit Goetz
Birgit Götz works as a choreographer and dancer for stage and site specific/non traditional performance spaces. Her artistic focus lies in interdisciplinary dance. She collaborates with professional artists and dancers and takes on roles as choreographer, dancer, and project leader for dance productions and festivals. Based in germany, she devises choreographic work nationwide for commercial companies in the context of training and study programs
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As a lecturer, she teaches in theater pedagogy programs at various theater education centers and holds teaching positions at the University of Applied Sciences in Dortmund. She also works as a dance educator, promoting interdisciplinary dance in schools and dance academies.
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Additionally, she is involved with the network of independent performing arts in Dortmund and serves as a member of the Cultural Education Advisory Board of the City of Dortmund. Birgit Götz is also a board member of LAG Tanz NRW (the State Working Group for Dance in North Rhine-Westphalia).
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Elisa Hofmann
Elisa is a German-Korean performer, dancer, and choreographer. Following her earlier training at the Filmschauspielschule Berlin, she studied Physical Theatre at the Folkwang University of the Arts.
Elisa is a co-founder and co-director of the physical theatre company KimchiBrot Connection, known for its award-winning production Living Happily Ever After, which toured both nationally and internationally. She is also a member of the Berlin-based independent performance collective LUNATIKS, with whom she has developed numerous theatre projects, including the German-Korean production Delegation X. In addition, she is part of the theatre collective pulk fiktion, contributing as a performer and choreographer to acclaimed productions such as HIERONYMUS and All About Nothing, among others.
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Since April 2020, Elisa works as a lecturer in the Physical Theatre program at the Folkwang University of the Arts, specialising in Devising/ Performance Development.
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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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.
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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.
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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, closely collaborating with writers, directors and movement coaches, helping break down scripts, devising and developing characters. ​​​​​​​
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Matilde Torres / Performance artist
Mati Torres Laborde is a Spanish freelance dance artist and digital inclusion facilitator originally living and working in Leeds, UK, since 2012. Since graduating from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Mati has been working in the British and international contemporary art scene, performing, lecturing, and delivering work for independent artists, charities, and institutions.
Mati is particularly interested in interdisciplinary collaboration, especially the intersection of visual art and dance. Her most recent project, Memory Stone, explores themes of dreams and migrant displacement within the context of the British landscape. The piece was created by Knikta Mohammadi and commissioned by The Lowry’s Artist Development Programme.
Her performance experience includes working with Red Ladder Theatre Company, Luz Jimenez, Madeline Shan, Catherine Bertola, Mafwa Theatre, and Sorcha Kennedy, among others.
Currently, Mati delivers creative sessions for disadvantaged communities and holds the role of Digital Inclusion Coordinator for The HighRise Project. Additionally, she work as a facilitator under Yorkshire Dance’s Leaps & Bounds programme delivering dance for adults with learning disabilities.
Pia Alena Wagner / Performance artist
Pia studied Physical Theatre at the Folkwang University of the Arts and works as a performer, theatre-maker, and dancer in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany, and abroad. She collaborates with, among others, Alexandra Pirici, Theater Titanick, Stellablau Kollektiv, undBorisundSteffi, 4.D, Junge Bühne Bochum, atelier automatique, and scheinzeitmenschen.
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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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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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Stella Ahmeti / Assistant producer
Stella is a production manager in the performing arts and holds a degree in cultural studies. Based in Dortmund, she has been working since 2021 as a project manager and social media manager for both professional and socio-cultural projects with 4.D and HER.STORY. In addition, she works as a project manager in cultural education at jugendstil nrw – LAG Jugend und Literatur NRW e.V.
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Partners:
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About the show
Heroines aims to honour the countless inspirational women who have been unknown, undermined, or uncelebrated throughout history by giving them a voice and sharing their stories. This intergenerational dance theatre show will feature heroines from Leeds and Dortmund, brought to life through movement, comedy, text, and storytelling. The performance will involve three professional artists from each city, alongside a community cast, Ensemble 1, composed of six women (three from Germany and three from the UK). The ensemble will be embedded throughout the creative process as co-creators and contributors.
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The project addresses the underrepresentation of women’s stories in the arts by focusing on women who have been overlooked—whether famous figures or everyday heroines. This approach fosters gender equality and creates a platform for women of all backgrounds to share their experiences, building solidarity across communities. Heroines will also strengthen the cultural connection between Leeds and Dortmund, using digital and physical storytelling to reach wider audiences and ensure the project’s lasting legacy beyond the performances.
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Heroines offers both ACCA and Vier-D the chance to try new approaches in creative process, community engagement, and cultural exchange. This ambitious project goes beyond previous works, incorporating not just the dance theatre show, but also a living installation with Ensemble 2, an exhibition of inspirational women, and a seminar reflecting on our international collaboration. These elements will expand the project’s impact, allowing us to explore new ways of developing theatre with an intergenerational community cast, blending professional artists with local women as co-creators. This collaborative model empowers participants to take ownership of the stories they help tell, challenging traditional performance structures.​​
ACCA & Vier-D: previous co-creations
Between 2021 and 2024, ACCA Dance Theatre has been steadily developing a cross-cultural collaboration with Dortmund-based company Vier-D. Led by female directors, the two companies have, to date, co-created two women-centred works that explore and celebrate female narratives while strengthening the historical ties between the twin cities of Leeds and Dortmund. ​
- Femxle Spaces -
Femxle Spaces explored the shared history of industrial growth, decline, and urban transformation in Leeds and Dortmund, and how these changing landscapes have shaped the lives of the womxn living in them. Drawing from the testimonies of 12 women from both cities, the project was inspired by their experiences navigating public spaces, institutions, and family structures.
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Combining film, theatre, and dance, the piece was staged as a promenade performance, making social challenges and gendered narratives visible in public areas. Femxle Spaces was performed in Leeds in August 2023 as part of Leeds 2023 City of Culture, and again in October 2023 at Dortmund’s Szene machen! festival for independent dance and theatre.
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The project was created with the support of Slung Low and funded by the Cultural Bridge programme, the Cultural Office of the City of Dortmund, and the Fonds Darstellende Künste — provided by the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media.
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As lead organisation, Vier-D oversaw funding, production, and artistic direction, whilst ACCA came into the project as a collaborator, providing production support, directorial input, and leading the recruitment and interviews of Leeds community participants.
*Click to watch Femxle Spaces' TRAILER & Documentary*
- My Body Is My Castle -
After a successful first collaboration, ACCA and Vier-D reunited in 2024 for a second joint project. Continuing their shared artistic and social research, My Body Is My Castle explored the female body — its complexity, its perception — and sought to strengthen and empower female voices and perspectives.
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The project brought together 18 performers from Leeds and Dortmund, aged between 16 and 70, who shared their lived experiences in an intergenerational dance performance celebrating self-love, acceptance, and an awareness of inner strength and beauty. Through a collaborative process, professional performers and members of local communities explored physicality and co-created a contemporary dance work incorporating spoken word and physical theatre, which they then brought to the stage.
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An additional 40 women participated in workshops, highlighting a strong need for creative spaces where women can share their stories and build self-efficacy.
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The performance premiered in Dortmund in November 2024, presented by LAG Tanz NRW and funded by the Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees, and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a shared ambition to deepen their partnership, the two companies took a collaborative approach to leadership, jointly managing fundraising, production, direction, performance, and recruitment throughout the project.
*Click to watch INTERVIEWS with PARTICIPANTS*
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*
- 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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