Announcing our pilot Associate Director Programme

04 Jun Announcing our pilot Associate Director Programme

We are excited to announce Mimbre’s Pilot Associate Director Programme, where we have invited six performers and collaborators to learn more about how our company works and bring fresh eyes to help shape our forward looking plans for the next five years.

The programme will include mentoring for all of our supported artists, to support them in whatever way they feel useful to develop their own projects or artistic interests. We can’t wait to see what might grow out of this, with such a creative group of people.

Mimbre’s first group of Associate Directors are helping us brainstorm ideas for future research, projects and productions, to allow ourselves to put financial worries to the side and dream creatively for a bit. Then we’ll put our brains together to see what dreams we can make into reality… Watch this space!

Natasha Khamjani has taught streetdance to Mimbre Youth right from the very start of the programme, teaching hundreds of Mimbre Youth kids over the years! She is also a versatile choreographer and mass movement director, and runs her own high-energy company Folk Dance Remixed. You can also see Natasha in The Sofa Dance alongside her two talented kids Skyla and Kalani.

Maiya Leeke is an incredible contemporary dancer, a Sadler’s Wells Young Associate and was one of the performers in Look Mum, No Hands!, helping to develop the narrative and movement language right from the start of that co-production with Daryl & Co. She was also part of our short films The Sofa Dance.

Lucie Maisha N’Duhirahe is an aerialist, acrobat and theatre maker with her own company Collectif And Then and has worked with us on the ENO’s Aida, in The Sofa Dance, as an understudy for Lifted and at various Acrolabs, always bringing amazing strength, energy and big smiles. Lucie also gave Mimbre Youth the bouncy tumbling airtrack that the Maxi group really love!

Martha Harrison is one of Mimbre’s longest-term collaborators and has worked with us on: Until Now, Bench, If I could I would, Lifted, Weight(less), Wondrous Strange and Aida, as well as teaching on our youth programme and being part of developing Mimbre’s training methodology. Outside of working with us, she is also a much loved teacher, choreographer and director in her own right. and Look Mum, Let’s Talk About Disability, and is a regular attender at our acrobatic training sessions and Acrolabs.

Arielle Lauzon is a Canadian circus artist who first came to the UK to work with us on The Exploded Circus! Since then she’s taken the UK circus scene by storm and can currently be seen in Revel Puck’s shows in Brighton. Arielle has also been part of Mimbre’s Fierce Sisters, The Sofa Dance and Dior Dream Parade.

Rebecca Solomon is an aerial performer, teacher and director who performed a rebellious Juliet in Mimbre’s Fierce Sisters and alongside her dog in The Sofa Dance. She has been a keen and versatile learner in our acrobatic training sessions and Acrolabs, learning all the different positions, from base to flyer! Rebecca can currently be seen in Upswing’s Showdown on tour in the UK.