DOORSTEP DUETS 2024
WORLD-CLASS DANCE ON YOUR DOORSTEP
Hum choreographed by Anjali Mehra
Welcome
Hello and welcome to Doorstep Duets.
At New Adventures, we believe that storytelling through dance can bring people together, and whilst it isn’t always possible to share this pleasure in a studio or theatre, we hope we can bring a taste of it direct to your doorstep.
Now in its fourth year, Doorstep Duets was originally created in 2021 by New Adventures and Farnham Maltings as a response to social isolation. Offering free opportunities for local communities to enjoy world class dance performances on their street, in their park, or through local community organisations. The aim of the project was to bring escapism, connection, and joy, and to make exceptional dance more accessible to everyone.
This year Anjali Mehra is joining us to choreograph a new piece called Hum, which explores how one small gesture of kindness to a stranger ripples out to create a community for those who need it most. Anjali has performed and choreographed for New Adventures several times and we are delighted that she is creating a piece especially for Doorstep Duets. Her ability to tell stories through movement will delight our audience.
For the first time we have commissioned a composer to create a piece of music for Doorstep Duets. Luke Brady is a Grammy nominated vocalist and composer. Working in various mediums spanning theatre, television, film and radio/podcasts. He has made music with The Globe, The National Theatre, and various West End venues. This is an exciting development for us at New Adventures and I’m thrilled we have two amazing creatives working on Hum
We have accessible performances throughout the tour, including several BSL interpreted and audio described. Check out our website for those performances.
Enjoy and relish in this performance and we’d love to know what you think, so please do tell us.
Etta Murfitt
Associate Artistic Director, New Adventures
Q&A with Anjali Mehra
Anjali Mehra, Choreographer and Movement Director, on loving her job, embracing joy and what she hopes you will experience when you see a performance of Hum
What do you love most about your job?
I love my job because I can create worlds with movement and express what words cannot. I love that every project is different with its own challenges and rewards. I work with people across all genres and abilities and thrive on finding solutions to unite all with one aim – to tell a story that connects with the audience.
Tell us about Hum and what inspired you to create it.
I was inspired to create Hum as I am always trying to explore what makes us human. I believe it is important to remind ourselves through art about the best qualities that we possess, and some of these are the desire to connect, empathise and give. For me, our imaginations which are omnipresent, are magical spaces that we must continually cultivate to be happy.
I thought about how, in our busy lives, we often fail to see the incredible opportunities for joy that exist all around us. I wanted to explore how small moments of joy can lead to more moments of joy and eventually create a happier life. And I was also interested in the effect that acts of kindness can have on others. When we walk away, does that person hold onto that good feeling and take it with them through their day and possibly help another in return? And so forth; a sort of ripple effect. This brought me to the hummingbird.
The hummingbird is the smallest bird on the planet that, through the way it distributes nectar, has a huge impact on the planet and nature. Additionally, the hummingbird attracts many spiritual connotations from different cultures, one being that they are visiting spirits of those not with us anymore. Some say that the hummingbird’s ability to flap its wings at record speed so it can hover so well is a metaphor for taking time to stop and embrace the moment. Other associations are with creativity, connection and joy. Thinking about all of this is where my journey began, I want to express that small moments of joy can spread, rippling through our lives and the lives of others to infinite potential.
What do you hope audiences will experience at a performance of Hum?
I always hope that audiences relate to the story and allow themselves to ‘feel’ along with us. I hope that we can take them on our journey and enable them to reflect on their own lives with its highs and lows, that it is ok, and we are all in this together.
Why is it important to you to bring dance theatre to audiences outside of theatres?
Bringing dance to people that would not normally experience theatre is hugely important. The Doorstep Duets project is doing incredible things for many communities who, for a variety of reasons, would not otherwise be able to see live dance. Performances at every location will be immersive to an extent, which will be exciting for both performers and audiences. I’d love for audiences who don’t normally experience live dance, to discover how much it can bring us together in shared joy.
Photo: Stephen Daly
A dedication to Imogen Kinchin
Driving the original concept of Doorstep Duets was our late Executive Director, Imogen Kinchin, who tragically passed away earlier this year from bowel cancer. Imogen was passionate about enabling more people to experience the joy of storytelling through exceptional live performance. Imogen’s idea to take world-class dance to people’s doorsteps (quite literally in some cases – we have performed in front gardens on several occasions), has brought four productions to 16,650 people across 347 performances over three summers and has given people who can’t visit our productions in a traditional theatre setting the opportunity to enjoy our unique style of dance-theatre.
This year, Anjali Mehra’s Hum is a story of meaningful connection and of individuals coming together to experience joy and wonder. These are values at the heart of Doorstep Duets and of New Adventures. We can’t wait to share these values through dance with the people we meet on tour in the South East this summer.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our funders The Backstage Trust, The Bernard Sunley Foundation, The Head Family and Arts Council England, as well as the long list of partners and venues with whom we have collaborated this year. I’d also like to thank the artist Ane Brun who has kindly given us permission to use their song ‘All We Want is Love’.
And finally, thank you to Imogen for believing in the potential of world-class dance to bring joy and wonder, to connect and to bring people together. We dedicate this production to you and are delighted to continue your vision and ambition for Doorstep Duets once again this year.
Jennie Green Deputy Managing Director, New
Adventures
Rehearsal Photos
The Magic of Storytelling
Writer, Playwright and Screenwriter Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, July 2024
sense too. A well told story about the dangers around the corner would save a life perhaps. And an elaborate story about the gods who caused the latest drought would explain and make sense of a world that seems to exist in a chaotic way. Stories shape our whole lives.
What makes a great story? Usually it’s something that takes you on a journey somewhere unexpected. Opens up a new perspective for you. Makes you understand a world you had never seen before. Maybe it’s a story you recognise, it’s like yours, or it’s like your family’s story; you enjoy being able to recognise yourself in it. Sometimes a great story is simply one that will help remember someone. Or it’s a great story because it’s funny and we all need a good laugh sometimes. Or it’s scary and we needed the cathartic release of being scared whilst feeling safe. Great stories come in all kinds of forms.
I learnt the power of a good story from a young age after I scared a dormitory full of friends on a school trip with a made up ghost story. I also learnt the art of a good fib and how it could get me out of scrapes from time to time. I found that I loved figuring out how to tell stories in theatres so I could share my experiences with others and through sharing, somehow
find connection and solidarity. I also learnt that telling stories can uncover histories that had been forgotten. But the biggest lesson I have learnt in all my years of telling stories is that absolutely everyone has at least one (and usually hundreds and thousands) of stories of their own to tell.
Human beings have been telling stories for millennia. Theories of our storytelling suggest there was pre-language understanding, that information would have been shared through sound and gesture. That this would have evolved into language and that the ability to move from narrative fact into fiction followed swiftly. Many animals seem to possess the ability to plan events in the future and remember events from the past. They are able to communicate information and also play using sound and gesture. It’s likely we were doing the same pre-language. And post language we would have been able to begin mapping our existence in a physical sense and philosophical
And when it comes to how we tell out stories, us humans have found a myriad of ways. Not just through speaking a tale into existence but through music, performance, painting, sculpture, film, photography, writing, dance… the list goes on and on. We pass on histories and folklore, myth and fact, tragedy and comedy; we share it all through story. Not only that but every piece of advertising we consume involves a story that is being told about the product and what it can do; a story of who we will become if we buy it. Every politician must tell the story of who they are and what they will do for us if we vote for them. Every newscaster must decide on the best way to tell us the news. Our lives are so completely surrounded by stories that we have become adept at telling them, sharing them, hearing them and needing them.
And what of the storytellers? I’m arguing that every single one of us is a storyteller but there are those of us who make a living from it. Or try to. The ones who recognise that sometimes stories are for more than information and advertising, politics and context – they’re also for something more unexplainable than that. Storytellers know that there is
Photo: Stephen Daly
something in the core of every human that craves something very specific – to be seen.
That moment when someone says something to you that exactly matches your own experience of the world, something palpable passes between you. It’s empathy but it also feels like something more; something magical. We are all existing in a hostile world that often makes very little sense and none of us truly know why we are here or whether our own personal experience of it is the same as anyone else’s. Sometimes life can be incredibly overwhelming and more than that – it can be unbearable. So, in those moments when you are feeling like you are unable to cope, or that the weight of things is simply too much, there is a huge power in someone else being able to say
‘oh yes, I feel that too’. Whether it’s a character in a book or on a stage, or a lyric of a song, or your friend down the pub. The story of their own struggle, whether it exactly matches yours or not, will open a window for you. Will hold out a hand. Maybe it’ll even save your life.
millennia old. We’ve had practice, and those robots don’t have whatever magic ingredient we have, and I honestly don’t think they ever will. We know how to tell a good story because they have been crucial to our survival for so long.
This is also where our need for fantasy comes in. Because at some point in our early cognitive development we achieved the ability to imagine and talk about narratives that had not happened at all. Whether they are things we hope for or things we dread we have the amazing ability to conjure whole universes in our mind. And this ability is perhaps the spark that no one will ever be able to replicate. I know there is huge panic about the possibilities of AI but the human imagination is
There is someone else who I feel is just as important as the storyteller – and that’s the listener. Because they are the ones who will decide how the story will be passed on. They will be the ones who apply their own take on it, mould it, add to it. But even more important than that – they will be in charge of nurturing the storyteller and their story. For there are people out there who love storytellers in all their guises, and they know the importance of good stories and they facilitate them. They find them resources. They know a good story when they hear it, and they want to share it with as many other listeners as they can. And it’s those people that the storytellers need more than anything.
So, whether today you are the storyteller or the listener, keep finding ways to map our existence. To remember the past and imagine the future. Keep sharing experiences in the hope for connection. Keep striving to take people on journeys and to go with others on theirs. Keep believing in the magic of stories. Because this will be how we survive the chaos of now. It’ll be how we change things. It’ll be how we find connection with each other when all the stories our leaders give us are of division. And be mindful of the stories you tell and re-tell because they are the ones that will shape our future. And if we all use our stories to open a window and hold out a hand to each other then we might just be able to save the world.
Photo: Stephen Daly
Biographies
Anjali Mehra
Choreographer and Movement Director
Bombay Dreams, Victoria Apollo and in films World War Z and Alexander. Anjali happily hung up her dancing shoes to focus on her career in choreography/ movement and direction in 2019.
CHOREOGRAPHY: DIRECTION AND MOVEMENT
Anjali is Movement Director on World Premiere of Tupperware of Ashes at The National Theatre written by Tanika Gupta and directed by Pooja Ghai starring Meera Syal.
SOCIAL MEDIA: @anjalimehra
PRONOUNS: She/her
Anjali Mehra was born in the UK, lives in South London and is of South Asian heritage. Anjali trained at Central School of Ballet, London where she won the Christopher Gable Choreographer Award. Anjali holds a Masters of Arts Degree. Anjali was recently nominated for Best Choreography for Lord of the Rings at the Broadway Theatre Awards.
JOINED NEW ADVENTURES: 1999
FOR NEW ADVENTURES: She has performed on and off over 20 years with the company as Glenda in Play without Words, Irina in The Red Shoes, The Queen and Unsuitable Girlfriend in Swan Lake, The Stepmother in Cinderella, and Sugar in Nutcracker!
OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Anjali has also worked and danced for Wayne McGregor, Arthur Pita, Nick Winston, Cathy Marston, Imogen Knight, Alex Reynolds, Anthony Van Last, Andrew George, Linda Dobell and Lucy Burge in musical theatre, opera, contemporary and commercial dance notably Kiss me Kate at Theatre du Chatelet, the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Lord of The Rings, A Musical Tale, Othello at The Watermill Theatre, Flowers for Mrs Harris at Riverside Studios, “Daddy” A Melodrama by Jeremy O. Harris at Almeida Theatre, Mavra and Pierrot Lunaire at Linbury Theatre, The Ballad of Hattie and James at Kiln Theatre, Rumi the Musical at the London Coliseum, Judgment Day directed by Richard Jones at Park Avenue Armory, New York, Spike by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman, Brief Encounter directed by Robert Kirby, Cherry Town at WNO.
DIRECTION AND CHOREOGRAPHY FOR NEW ADVENTURES: Anjali was commissioned by Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures to conceptualise, choreograph and direct a dance film with TEA films. Her film ‘little grasses crack through stone’ based on Sylvia Plath’s play: Three Women: A Poem for Three Voices has been viewed over 20,000 times and was recently shown by Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Anjali also directed and choregraphed Moving In Time; a short film that encapsulated the lives of a group of care home residents as part of the Artist in Residency project with Magic Me.
CURRENT: USA Premiere of Lord of the Rings Musical at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Dope Girls BBC TV series (upcoming) as Associate Choreographer.
Luke Brady Composer and Sound Designer
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Luke is a Grammy nominated vocalist and composer. Working in various mediums spanning Theatre, Television, Film and Radio/ Podcasts. He has worked making music with The Globe, The National Theatre and various West End Venues.
COMPOSITION CREDITS INCLUDE. ‘TubeSong’ for Manchester Home, for ‘Homemakers Festival’. ‘LadyLikes’; Comedy festival with Soho Theatre. ‘Afterlife Overtime’ and ‘Nethernaughts’ with The White Bear theatre. ‘Sweet Spot’ (Film). ‘King Of The Wood’ (Film).
SOCIAL MEDIA: @lukebradyyy
PRONOUNS: He/him
Etta Murfitt
Associate Artistic Director
FOR NEW ADVENTURES: The Midnight Bell, Romeo and Juliet, The Red Shoes, Swan Lake, Early Adventures, Cinderella, Dorian Gray, Edward Scissorhands, Highland Fling, Nutcracker!, The Car Man, The Infernal Galop, The Percys of Fitzrovia, Deadly Serious and Town and Country
Steptoe and Son, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Dead Dog in a Suitcase (Kneehigh); A Chorus of Disapproval (Harold Pinter Theatre); Rufus Norris’ Sleeping Beauty (Birmingham Rep); Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Chichester and Theatre Royal Haymarket); Le nozze di Figaro (Holland Park Opera); The Way of the World (Wilton’s Music Hall); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Albery Theatre) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (West Yorkshire Playhouse).
TRAINING: Central School of Ballet
TRAINING WITH NEW ADVENTURES: New Adventures Emerging Artist (2023), Swan School (2023)
OTHER CREDITS: OperaGlass Works’ film of La traviata (directed by Selina Cadell and Eliza Thompson); choreography for Would You Bet Against Us (directed by Paul Hunter, Told by an Idiot); Blue Beard (directed by Emma Rice for Wise Children. UK tour); Bagdad Café (directed by Emma Rice. Old Vic); Wuthering Heights (directed by Emma Rice for Wise Children (NT, Bristol Old Vic, York Theatre Royal, National Theatre, UK tour and USA tour); Romantics Anonymous (directed by Emma Rice for Wise Children); Orpheus in the Underworld (directed by Emma Rice for ENO); Choreographer and Nora in Emma Rice’s Wise Children; Clockwork Orange (Everyman Theatre); Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Globe); The Tin Drum, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, The Wild Bride, Midnight’s Pumpkin,
TELEVISION AND FILM INCLUDES: Nora in Wise Children (More2Screen); Clara in Nutcracker! (BBC/NVC); Rita in The Car Man (Channel 4); Swan Lake, Late Flowering Lust, Roald Dahl’s Red Riding Hood and Mrs Hartley and the Growth Centre (all BBC); Storm (Aletta Collins/ BBC Dance for the Camera) and Matthew Bourne’s Christmas (Channel 4).
Etta is Movement Director for Wise Children as well as the Associate Artistic Director of New Adventures.
PRONOUNS: She/her
JOINED NEW ADVENTURES: 2023
ROLES AND PRODUCTIONS WITH NEW ADVENTURES: Kevin Boggs, Little Edward and Sheldon Gaibright in Edward Scissorhands (2023–24 UK and International Tour).
OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Ballet Central Tour
SOCIAL MEDIA: @xavi_sot
PRONOUNS: He/him
Xavier Andriambolanoro Sotiya Dancer
Anna-Maria de Freitas Dancer
TRAINING: Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance (2022).
JOINED NEW ADVENTURES: 2023.
ROLES AND PRODUCTIONS WITH NEW ADVENTURES: Candy Covitt and Darlene Upton in Edward Scissorhands (2023–24 UK and International Tour).
Luke
Murphy Dancer and Resident Director
TRAINING: Northern Ballet School (2006)
JOINED NEW ADVENTURES: 2006
Holly Saw Dancer
TRAINING: Legat School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance (2015–17); The School of Ballet Theatre UK (2017–20).
JOINED NEW ADVENTURES: 2023.
ROLES AND PRODUCTIONS WITH NEW ADVENTURES:
OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Feykom Tarab?’s A Night with Miami Band (2023, The Arena Kuwait); Oklahoma! (2023, Wyndham’s Theatre), Kenneth Macmillan’s Sea of Troubles film (Apprentice with Yorke Dance Project 2022), Music Videos Include: Mia Ray –Stay Awake (2022).
SOCIAL MEDIA: @amdefreitas
PRONOUNS: She/her
ROLES AND PRODUCTIONS WITH NEW ADVENTURES: George Munroe, Mayor Franklyn Upton III and Inventor in Edward Scissorhands (2023–2024); Ensemble in Doorstep Duets (2022); Autumnus, Tantrum, Bertie and Archie in Sleeping Beauty (2015–16); Dance Captain, Sam and Piggy in Lord of the Flies (2011 & 2017); Ensemble, Spanish Escort in Swan Lake (2009–11); Fritz and Ensemble in Nutcracker! (2007–08 & 2011–12); Chad, Marco and Vito in The Car Man (2007); Sheldon Grubb in Edward Scissorhands (2006–2007).
OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Movement and Fight Consultant for Glyndebourne Festival (2023); Fight and Movement Consultant on The Royal Opera House’s Jette Parker Artists Program; Movement Coach at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland;
SOCIAL MEDIA: @thelukemurphy
PRONOUNS: He/him
Kim Boggs, Marilyn-Ann Evercreech, Bunny Monroe and Charity Upton in Edward Scissorhands (2023–24 UK and International Tour) Faith in Romeo and Juliet (2019, Canterbury Young Cast).
OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Florence Nightingale in Nightingale by New Creation Collective (2023–24 UK Tour); Orfeo Ed Eurydice/ Dido and Aeneas by The Grange Festival (2023); Principal dancer in Stravinsky’s The Soldiers Tale for The Wimbledon International Music Festival (2022); Alceste for Musica Bayreuth at the Margravial Opera House (2022); Dancer for the Ballet of Divadlo J. K. Tyle, Plzeň (2020–22); including demi-soloist roles in Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty and Dekkadancer’s Princezna se zlatou hvězdou.
SOCIAL MEDIA: @hollysaw
PRONOUNS: She/her
Molly Shaw-Downie Dancer
TRAINING: The Royal Ballet School – Head Girl (2013–2016), Central School of Ballet – First Class BA Honours Degree (2016–2019)
TRAINING WITH NEW ADVENTURES: Swan School (2023)
JOINED NEW ADVENTURES: 2023
Mami Tomotani Dancer and Resident Director
TRAINING: Kawazoe Ballet School in Fukuoka, Japan and Shiki Academy in Tokyo.
JOINED NEW ADVENTURES: 1999
Side Story; The Phantom of the Opera; Aspects of Love; HANS (Andersen); Ondine. Suisei company FAME playing Iris Kelly; Landestheater Ballet Linz, Austria.
CHOREOGRAPHY CREDITS INCLUDE: The Sound Of Music for New York LaGuardia High School which won Shubert Foundation Festival in NYC (2019); Pride and Prejudice, the world Premiere of How To Make An American Quilt and COMPLEAT female STAGE BEAUTY for New York LaGuardia High School; Zanna Don’t! for Pittsburgh University; Contemporary dance for New York WAGP Contemporary Dance Competition (Top 12) and Japan International Competition (1st prize).
ROLES AND PRODUCTIONS WITH NEW ADVENTURES: Tiffany Covitt, Esmerelda Evercreech and Marilyn-Ann Evercreech in Edward Scissorhands (2023–24 UK and International Tour).
OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Chitty
Chitty Bang Bang (2010 UK Tour); The Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker (2013 The Royal Opera House); La Traviata (2019 & 2021, The Royal Opera House); Chanel Short Film (2021); Jenufa (2021, The Royal Opera House); Juliet in The Queen of Roses (2022 & 2023, The Bloomsbury Ballroom); Call the Midwife (2022, BBC); The Snowman (2022 The Peacock Theatre West End); Madam Butterfly (2022 & 2023, The Floating Lake Stage Austria).
SOCIAL MEDIA: @molly__sd
PRONOUNS: She/her
ROLES AND PRODUCTIONS WITH NEW ADVENTURES: Swan Lake (Spanish, Romanian and Italian Princess); The Car Man (Monica & Delores); Nutcracker! (Clara, Mrs. Dross/Queen Candy, Cupid, Licorice Lady and Marshmallow); Highland Fling (Madge & Morag); Edward Scissorhands (Peg Boggs, Esmerelda Evercreech, Gloria Grubb, Tiffany Covett and Darlen Upton); Sleeping Beauty (Miss Maddox). Rehearsal Assistant for Dorian Gray in Japan.
Education Artist for curtain raisers in the USA and Asia, Beauty Sleep and In Our Shoes, masterclasses and workshops.
OTHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Local Associate Movement Director of Harry Potter and Cursed Child in Tokyo; Assistant Choreographer of Tim Jackson for Maria Friedman’s Merrily We Roll Along in Japan.
PERFORMER: Contemporary dance with Kazue Taguchi’s Art at The Museum of Art and Design in NY; The King and I at The Royal Albert Hall in London; the Shiki Theatre Company include CATS (Bombalurina & Victoria); Jesus Christ Superstar; West
TEACHING CREDITS INCLUDE: The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and NYDA/Hariyama Ballet N.Y. Guest teacher across the globe for LaGuardia High School, Joffrey Ballet School, Mark Morris Dance Group, Carnegie Mellon University, The Princeton University in the USA, Mid Manhattan Performing Arts Artistic Directer, NYC. New Adventures company class and workshops in Japan, USA and UK.
FILM AND TV CREDITS INCLUDE; Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! (BBC in UK, Fuji TV in Japan); Highland Fling (Tokyo TV in Japan). Edward Scissorhands. Will Young “Falling Deep” music video.
SOCIAL MEDIA: @mami.lesson_choreograph @happymamitomotani3
PRONOUNS: She/her
Credits
Creative Team
CHOREOGRAPHER AND MOVEMENT DIRECTOR Anjali Mehra
COMPOSER AND SOUND DESIGNER Luke Brady
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Etta Murfitt
DRAMATURG Zoë Templeman-Young
Production and Touring Crew
STAGE MANAGER Katie Crump
PRODUCERS Stephen Daly and Alex Towers
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Sam Archer
For New Adventures
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Sir Matthew Bourne, OBE
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Etta Murfitt, MBE
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER / GREEN ADVENTURES REPRESENTATIVE Andrew Ashton*
INCLUSION, ACCESS & DATA MANAGER Eman Bhatti
FINANCE MANAGER Selina Mayer
OPERATIONS MANAGER Louise Miller
CREATIVE CONTENT PRODUCER Kaasam Aziz
SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Nathaniel Cope
DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Clare Lee Davis
DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Kat Themans
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE Rebecca Kendall*
PRESS Simon Raw for RawPR MARKETING & MEDIA Elaine McGowan for EMG
ASSISTANT TO MATTHEW BOURNE Suzanne Boguzas*
TRUSTEES
ASSOCIATE ARTISTS Lez Brotherston, OBE, Paule Constable, Terry Davies, Paul Groothuis, Brett Morris
FOUNDER ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE Scott Ambler (1960–2018)
GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR Robert Noble, OBE
DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR Jennie Green
TAKE PART CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kerry Biggin
AUDIENCE & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER Lucy Fox
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Tom McEvilly*
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Aysha Powell
RESIDENT ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE Neil Westmoreland*
RESIDENT ARTIST/ EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION CHAMPION Glenn Graham
TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT COORDINATOR
Sian Brackett-Hayes
COMMUNITIES PRODUCER Stephen Daly
SWAN LAKE TAKE FLIGHT PRODUCER Leah Fox
SCHOOLS & YOUNG PEOPLE PRODUCER Alex Towers
Brenda Emmanus OBE
Peter Williams
Emily Bolton
Jacquie Brunjes
Huw Morris
Juliet Riddell
Jessica Ward
*Freelance role
MATTHEW BOURNE’S AWARD WINNING COMPANY
Since 1987 New Adventures has changed the popularity of dance in Britain, creating dance theatre shows that have altered the public perception of what is possible when it comes to telling stories without words. In 2023 –24:
334K
people saw a New Adventures production on a UK stage
25K
people saw a New Adventures production in the cinema
790K
views of a New Adventures production on BBC iPlayer
Working with around 30 partner venues across the UK each year, New Adventures presents its work in more large and mid-scale venues than any other dance company in Britain.
“[Matthew Bourne] has filled the theatre with warmth and love, qualities often lacking on the chillier shores of contemporary work”
Sarah Crompton for The Sunday Times
We are passionate about the development of emerging talent and increasing diversity and representation in dance. In 2023–24 137 talent development sessions were delivered to 2400 attendees through one of the following programmes:
CYGNET
SCHOOL
our pre-vocational programme for young people
SWAN SCHOOL
A residency for invited dancers preparing to make a leap into the industry
PRO CLASSES
An extensive range of pathways into the company and professional work
OVERTURE
Professional development for dance artists and teachers working in the community
In our 2024–25 Swan Lake company, 65% of the dancers have been part of our talent development programme. Find out more on our website new-adventures.net/take-part
Follow us on social media and let us know what you thought of the show: MBNewAdventures
Photo: Johan Persson
BE PART OF OUR ADVENTURE
As a registered charity, New Adventures relies on the generosity of our supporters and audiences who share our love of storytelling and believe in the power of dance to change lives.
With your support we can continue to deliver a programme of groundbreaking, inclusive projects for people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.
THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR WORK
– Make a one-off donation or support our work year-round with a direct debit
– Introduce your business through corporate membership or project sponsorship, aligning your company with our internationally acclaimed work
– Support our industry-leading young people, community and talent development programmes through a Trust or Foundation
If you are able support us, any donation, of any size, will make a huge difference.
To find out more, contact supporters@new-adventures.net or scan the QR code.
Ashley and Lizette Head
Backstage Trust
Bernard Sunley Foundation
Bucellatti
Debby Landesman
Dr Annalisa Jenkins
Edwardian Hotels
Fortnum & Mason
Heather Acton
Jo Manoukian
Additional thanks to our donors who wish to remain anonymous. New Adventures Charity: 11253421
Linda Herd Noël Coward Foundation
Peter Williams
Sir Lloyd and Lady Sarah Dorfman
The Dorfman Foundation
The Garrick Charitable Trust
The Mackintosh Foundation
Theatre Development Trust
Weatherall Foundation Weil
Photos: Stephen Berkeley-White, Stephen Daly & Alicia Clarke
NEW ADVENTURES REPERTOIRE
13 FULL-LENGTH PRODUCTIONS
1 MIXED BILL
6 OLIVIER AWARDS 50+ INTERNATIONAL & NATIONAL AWARDS
THE RED SHOES
CINDERELLA
DORIAN GRAY
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
HIGHLAND FLING
LORD OF THE FLIES
ADVENTURES FOR ALL
We believe passionately that dance theatre is for everyone and encourage audiences and communities from all backgrounds to experience our work.
Our work in the Community is diverse and unique, ranging from intergenerational site-specific projects in museums to movement sessions in care homes and mass participation workshops at the UK’s largest music festivals.
Recently, as part of our Edward Scissorhands tour, we worked with Farnham Maltings, Surrey Libraries
and Woking Borough Council to create an original movement performance with LGBTQ+ adults. The piece was based on the themes of inclusion, exclusion, community and difference that are explored in the show.
As part of the project, the nine participants made their own costumes, wrote poems to their younger selves, and devised movement for the piece all in a matter of weeks. The piece was then performed at Farnham Maltings, Buzz Theatre in Woking, and to a full house at Woking Library.
“It has been amazing remembering dance things I did as a child and integrating that into a movement piece as an adult wheelchair user. I feel included, proud of what we have achieved and empowered to be more creative.”
Response piece participant, 2024
SETTING THE STAGE FOR SUSTAINABLE
TOURING
As a large-scale touring company, finding ways to lessen our environmental impact is important to us.
“New Adventures is proud to have piloted the first Creative Green certification for the touring sector and I am delighted that our efforts and achievements have been recognised with a four-star rating. There is still so much more we can do, as a company and within our industry, to address the climate emergency and we will continue to explore ways to be greener in all areas of our company.”
Matthew Bourne, Artistic Director
Find out more about our Environmental Action Plan and the sustainable work we’re doing.
Photos: Steve Adams & Dan Hipkin
Partners
ARK
ARK is a welcoming creative space reflecting the diversity of Cliftonville, that presents engaging and inclusive programming in a culturally iconic building.
Based in the former Margate synagogue, in the heart of Cliftonville West in Thanet, Kent, ARK is an accessible cultural and social venue where people can experience ambitious live performance and exhibitions; thought-provoking film screenings; food events and workshops that are open to everyone.
Our vision is to celebrate Cliftonville as a vibrant and diverse neighbourhood by providing an inclusive and accessible space which welcomes and brings together its many different communities.
Creative Arts East
Creative Arts East is an arts and community development charity and Arts Council England NPO based in Norwich. We work ‘outside of the box’ to ensure access to high-quality arts activities for people living in rural and/or disadvantaged communities across Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire. Our work improves the quality of people’s lives – reducing loneliness, increasing wellbeing, developing skills and confidence.
Our intention is to be a resource for local people as well as attracting visitors from throughout East Kent and beyond, through a relevant, ambitious and engaging cultural programme ranging across all art forms, and by co-creating work with our neighbours, making sure we respond to their voices – especially those from traditionally marginalised communities.
We will also ensure that not just the heritage of the building is preserved, but that the Jewish experience of diaspora enables us to empathise with other cultural groups. This is reflected in who we work and partner with – including Cliftonville’s Roma community and newly-arrived refugees.
Above all, ARK exists to bring people together, and promote understanding and appreciation of each other’s cultures through the events we programme and the work we do in our local community.
This work is underpinned by our values – empathy, respect, inclusion, collaboration and openmindedness. By drawing on our collective strengths, wisdom and talents, we believe Cliftonville is a better place for everyone.
For more information, see arkcliftonville.com
Our primary activity is rural touring – partnering with over 68 voluntary community groups and other organisations such as pubs, schools and libraries to co-curate and promote excellent and inclusive programmes of live performance and cinema which invite people to experience culture where access is limited or non-existent. We also run a portfolio of timelimited sector development projects and participatory activities for specific beneficiary groups that reach some of the most vulnerable or under-engaged residents across the region.
Our work increases hyper local and county-wide levels of aspiration, civic pride, community cohesion, and wellbeing. By meeting people where they are, we break down barriers to participation (be that cost, transportation, health or lack of provision), in order to achieve our aim of making creativity accessible and available to more people in more places, strengthening their personal & social outcomes as a result.
Farnham Maltings
Farnham Maltings is a pioneering cultural organisation based in Surrey. Our ambition is to nurture the ecology of independent, contemporary theatre in the South East, connecting artists and audiences locally, nationally and globally.
We produce and tour theatre shows to village halls, community spaces, libraries and theatres around the UK and abroad. We are keen to explore new approaches to theatre, supporting artists and projects which encourage new forms, and create experiences which stealthily draw together new audiences. These may be digital projects, work made to be staged in libraries, immersive experiences in cafés, or just a cracking story which delights its audiences.
Farnham Maltings supports theatre makers, producers and programmers to make their best work. We develop innovative and inspiring theatre that reflects our belief in the restorative power of the arts.
The Marlowe Theatre
The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury is one of the UK’s most successful large-scale regional theatres (UK Theatre of the Year in the Stage Awards 2022). Our mission is to be the engine house for the performing arts in Kent, shaping the spirit of our region.
We bring West End musicals, national companies, a symphony orchestra season and high-profile tours to Kent audiences, in a year-round programme of theatre, dance, opera, music and comedy in our 1,200-seat main house. Next year we begin producing large-scale plays made in Kent and touring nationally. Our 150-seat Studio is dedicated to the development of new ideas, with a mix of R&D with resident and visiting companies, sharings and presented shows, plus a home-produced family show at Christmas.
Supporting and nurturing artists at all stages of their careers, engaging with our communities, and developing the creative lives of the next generation are all part of our core purpose.
The Marlowe is proud to be an independent, notfor-profit charity. We raise all of our income through Box Office, secondary spend and fundraising and receive no revenue funding from statutory bodies. The Marlowe’s regional economic impact is over £44 million per annum.
Norwich Theatre
Norwich Theatre is a leading arts organisation in the UK and the largest in the East of England, presenting a vibrant programme of live performance and creative engagement activities to entertain, enrich and inspire audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
It is a creative force and culture hub at the heart of Norwich and Norfolk, working with local, national and international partners to create and share extraordinary theatre experiences as well as host the best touring productions the UK and the world have to offer.
The organisation offers an extensive and awardwinning Take Part programme for people of all ages, using creative activity to achieve solid outcomes linked to social isolation, positive mental health and wellbeing, as well as training and skills development opportunities.
Surrey Libraries
At Surrey Libraries, we recognise the immense potential of libraries as venues for performances, workshops, and exhibitions. Through our Library Presents Imagination Spaces program, we are committed to making cultural engagement more accessible and available to our residents. By collaborating with esteemed partners like New Adventures, we offer a diverse programme of quality cultural experiences to our communities, all available at the heart of the community for free or on a ‘pay what you can’ basis.
surreycc.gov.uk/libraries/news-and-events/digitalactivities
We work with national partners on our schools and education work, including RSC Associate Schools Programme, ETO and New Adventures. A recent successful project was delivered in partnership with the Wensum Trust in Norfolk. Wise About Words involved eight primary schools in Norwich and North Norfolk. Funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, it supported children in growing their love for stories, building emotional language, and becoming wellrounded individuals. Teachers used immersive techniques and games throughout the curriculum to enhance storytelling skills.
Our values represent how we work with all of our people: we make sure there is fair opportunity, we are kind and honest, and we maintain our unwavering commitment to inclusivity. We are one of just 34 arts organisations across the UK to be awarded Theatre of Sanctuary status.
Norwich Theatre is governed by an independent charitable trust and receives no regular public subsidy, generating all of its own income through tickets sales, commercial activities and fundraising.
Beyond providing free access to books and resources, we are embarking on a transformational journey to evolve our libraries into dynamic cultural hubs and community spaces. This includes integrating new technology to extend opening hours, making our libraries more accessible and convenient for residents. Our Super Access feature is now operational in Camberley, Dittons, Dorking, Egham, and Horley, with upcoming launches planned for Farnham, Godalming, and Oxted.
surreycc.gov.uk/libraries/news-and-events/ modernisation/super-access-in-surrey-librariesextended-opening-hours
A significant multi-million-pound investment has been approved to modernise our services and create flexible, innovative, and inclusive spaces that will transform our library offerings. This modernisation will initially focus on key libraries, including Epsom, Redhill, Staines, Woking, and Weybridge, with completion expected by the Spring of 2025. Libraries have always been integral in Surrey’s communities, and we are dedicated in continuing this journey and service offer for the future.
For more information on our library transformation and modernisation: surreycc.gov.uk/libraries/news-andevents/news/modernisation
The Alex
The Alexander Centre, an impressive Victorian townhouse at the heart of Faversham is run by and for the local community. It is a place for local business and leisure activities, weddings and parties, workshops and exercise classes, fairs, markets, music and theatre – and much, much more!
Its several heritage rooms boast period features and modern facilities, whilst the 20th century annexe, Gatefield Hall provides the largest indoor multifunctional hall in the area, with adjoining lounge, licensed bar, commercial kitchen and private garden.
As well as being a venue to hire, the Alexander Centre – affectionately known as The Alex, offers a comprehensive programme of events and activities to suit all interests and budgets, with its remit to enable the local community to ‘Do More, Be More, See More’.
For more info about what The Alex is and does –please visit the website: thealex.org.uk
Future Foundry
Future Foundry was created in 2012 with the aim of supporting young people to make the transition from education to employment and self-employment and take an active DIY approach to career development.
Future Foundry projects aim to provide first steps and progression routes into the creative industries for all young people. Their innovative projects tackle barriers facing marginalised young people engaging in the arts and cultural sector, aiming to build a more sustainable, diverse and representative creative community and creative industries workforce.
The work of Future Foundry has grown from a network of youth markets and ‘street-based business training’ to running two cultural spaces in Dover, an exciting annual public events programme, regular art clubs, high-quality professional training, industry partnerships and a support programme for creative micro-clusters in the town.
All aspects of Future Foundry’s work embeds training and professional development, they are committed to building a foundation of creative and practical skills in Dover to support high quality grass roots cultural activity.
Mercury Theatre
The Mercury is an artistic powerhouse in the East –a vital, vibrant, welcoming centre of culture for the people of Colchester, Essex and beyond. The Mercury believe in the power of creativity to connect the amazing communities that surround us. The goal is to boost creativity in the East of England by providing the people in the region with everyday opportunities to be artistic and innovative. They produce a programme of activities for young people, older people, local communities, schools and artists designed to celebrate creative potential and connect you with other people from all different backgrounds.
Dance Woking
Dance Woking is delighted to be once again partnering with Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures to present their highly popular Doorstep Duets, on Saturday 17 August in Woking Town Centre. This will be Dance Woking’s last activity this year, whilst the organisation takes a break to give us time to consider new ways of working and funding.
Dance Woking has for the past thirty years enjoyed the support of regular funding from Woking Borough Council (WBC), and delivered a series of highly valued programmes, adapting and changing these over time to best serve the local community and environment. More recently Dance Woking’s programme has sat under the ‘Inspired’ brand, including our Inspired Learning Programme. Following WBC issuing a 114 Notice last year, and only being able to support statutory provision, the financial support Dance Woking received ceased. The lack of this regular funding has meant our current way of working is unsustainable and as an organisation we have had to make some difficult decisions rethinking how we might work differently in the future. As part of this process we will be taking a break from delivering activity this autumn.
