The Fi.ELD 2019 Begins

28 February 2019

The Fi.ELD Cohort 2019. Photo by Bryony Farrant-Davis

We are thrilled to announce the new Fi.ELD Cohort for 2019. 

The Fi.ELD is a unique programme to nurture future innovators of dance, equipping them with the skills, experience and networks to take their career ambitions from ideas to reality. The programme is designed and facilitated by a team of top arts industry professionals. Under their guidance and mentorship, participants have the opportunity to design, develop and deliver their own events, applying all the knowledge they learn to produce a range of engaging dance experiences for east London audiences throughout 2019. 

This year’s cohort was selected following a rigorous but energising day-long interview process, from which 19 early-career creatives were selected to join The Fi.ELD 2019 and form East London Dance’s sixth group of future innovators. 

The group now embark on a year-long series of seminars, workshops, hands-on experience and mentorship, including the opportunity to pitch to receive cash investment from East London Dance and stage their own events at The Fi.ELD Festival in Autumn 2019.

The programme began at a residential weekend in mid-February, where the group had the chance to bond, attend seminars, generate ideas and started to form their plans for the year ahead. 

Follow The Fi.ELD on Instagram and Twitter to find out more about the exciting events they will be programming for the people of east London. 

Find out more about our latest future innovators below:

Charlotte Arch

I love to create and studied dance at Lincoln University. I applied to broaden my skills and I feel that the programme offers a unique insight into the arts and events. I’m so excited to be working with like-minded people and have the opportunity to bring new ideas to life. 

Daria Bardo

I started a commercial dance school DanceWithUs.co.uk in Stratford with choreographer friends two years ago and have applied to The Fi.ELD to help make our project a success, eventually opening our space for creative youngsters who live in the area. 

Jonathan Ben-Shaul

I am a recent graduate embarking on a career as a movement director and theatre maker. I am interested in choreography which is discovered rather than learnt and theatre which is devised, physically engaged and cinematic. The Fi.ELD will provide the opportunity to discover a range of movement practices and mentorship to experiment with them. I am really excited to have this opportunity to make my own work and to engage with other young creatives!

Molly Eyre

I discovered my passion for producing and managing after undertaking a placement year with Tavaziva as part of my undergraduate degree at the University of Surrey, where I graduated with a first class honours in Dance. The Fi.ELD will expand my knowledge and experience, providing opportunities to step into producing and managerial roles with the support and guidance required to succeed. I am most excited to work with a team of future innovators and artists who share a passion for new initiative in the arts industry. 

Indre Ezerskyte

I graduated with a bachelors in Dance in 2017 and moved overseas to develop my movement practice. Working with arts organisations throughout my studies I found being part of the team could be very inspiring and rewarding! What The Fi.ELD programme offers to young artists seemed like a really great opportunity so I did not hesitate to apply! I can’t wait to start working with The Fi.ELD’s creative team and broaden my horizons in the dance community sector. 

Hannah Finnemore

I’m a BA Dance student, currently completing an administrative internship with the Hofesh Shechter Company as part of my degree at the University of Surrey. After dancing in the 2018 East Wall project, I was inspired to get involved with East London Dance again. The Fi.ELD programme seemed like a unique opportunity to learn some of the skills that are necessary to put on such amazing performances. I’m really excited to work with the other programme participants, and to build something original together!

Izzy Inkpen 

I’m an inter-disciplinary creative interested in combining dance with other mediums such as poetry and video, and producing community-focused, diverse events. I applied to the programme because I want to learn how to plan, market, and supervise more ambitious projects. I’m looking forward to improving my own skills at the same time as contributing to a worthwhile event, such as The Fi.ELD Festival.

Priscilla Lafayette Kwabi

I am interdisciplinary artist working in theatre, dance and events curation. I applied to learn about the operational side of the worlds of dance and art, and connect to other creatives. I am looking forward to learning from leading practitioners, networking and the festival.

Nicholas Lillesoe

I have danced professionally for seven years and acted for three. I grew up around the world, usually near the equator, but decided to take the big leap and move to London and here I am today. The Fi.ELD was a natural progression for me, as being on stage I had always wondered what it would be like, creating and producing. I feel confident The Fi.ELD will give me these opportunities to learn these skills. I am looking forward to an exciting and memorable year!

Ellis Martin-Wylie

I’m a trained contemporary dancer and kinesiologist from Toronto, Canada, currently studying dance science at Trinity Laban. I aspire for a career in the arts and culture sector that allows me to facilitate dance for a wide range of audiences. My specialties lie in advocating for the health and well-being of professional dancers and researching the health and well-being benefits of recreational and participatory dance. Participating in The Fi.ELD will significantly contribute to my career development and I look forward to working amongst people with similar passions.

Ruma Parvin

I’m an aspiring entrepreneur, passionate about mental well-being and development. I applied for The Fi.ELD programme following a two-week condensed ‘get into creative producing’ course with East London Dance and Prince’s Trust. I was amazed at my transformation during the course. I’m looking forward to working with other artists, including my peers, developing gaps in my knowledge and skills, and building up my confidence as an artist, writer and entrepreneur.

Max Percy

I am a member of physical theatre company Contingency Theatre and work as a dancer, actor, producer and presenter. I applied for The Fi.ELD to get an invaluable year-long mentorship to support my creative projects. I’m looking forward to working with the wealth of talent that are the other members of The Fi.ELD!

Stephen Quildan

I’m a Choreographer, Dancer and Producer who started through street dance. I went to the Brit School and Rambert School graduating with a First Class BA (Hons). I’ve danced for Rambert, English National Ballet and Dance Company Nanine Linning to name a few. As a choreographer I’ve made a broad range of work for Resolution Festival, Issey Miyake, U2 and others. I seek to find the unexpected whilst creating a deep experience for an audience and participants. I hope to continue to fight for meaningful diversity and equal opportunities within the dance and arts sectors.

Danni Spooner

I am a working class, queer, femme who is trained in contemporary dance but works interdisciplinary. Someone who enjoys large indoor plants and has a drag character named ‘baby.’ As I’ve recently moved to London, I’m finding my feet here and am looking for support in my practice. The Fi.ELD programme seems to offer lots of opportunities to help develop your practice so I went for it! I’m looking forward to knowing where we’re going and getting to know everyone. Honestly, I’ve got excitement saved up for every bit of the programme so far.

Anett Toth

I am an aspiring dance artist originally from Serbia. I found my passion for dance while studying in Hungary and am now in my final few months of completing my dance degree in London. I applied for the programme to challenge and broaden my vision and knowledge in the arts. I am looking forward to working with like-minded, creative and ambitious artists, and to start my journey as a Future Innovator with East London Dance.

Hannah Treharne

I’m super passionate about dance and I have recently completed a MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy where I focussed much of my research on dance and wellbeing. I applied to The Fi.ELD because I wanted to gain a thorough understanding of what makes an excellent dance producer and to gain first-hand producing experience. I’m really looking forward to collaborating with and learning from other creative young people from a range of disciplines and backgrounds.

Luke Vincent

I am an aspiring movement & dance artist. Since graduating Rose Bruford in May 2018 I have been represented by Queer House, performed & worked across venues such as TATE Britain, The Vaults, Dance4 and Nottingham Playhouse, to name a few. I applied to The Fi.ELD to gain the support and knowledge of a pioneering dance network, such as East London Dance, to further pursue my aspirations and goals of becoming a successful Movement & Dance Artist. I’m very excited to see how much we grow as a team and a unit: learning from one another as well as the experts. I aim to absorb as much as I can ready for the Festival at the end of the course where we will be able to utilise everything we have learned.

David West

I’m a graduate of London Studio Centre 2017, and now a freelancer. I applied for the programme after listening to my fellow emerging artists – they wish there were more platforms for them or someone to help to get their work produced. I want to help them by upskilling myself with this course, and filling that gap. With the programme I just want to sponge up everything they throw at us, but in particular developing funding/financial skills.

Petronella Wiehahn

I am a contemporary dancer and choreographer, recently graduated from Trinity Laban. I applied for The Fi.ELD to gain first-hand experience of how to produce an event, to find the space to test my ideas and explore my creativity within an inspiring and supportive framework. Throughout the programme I look forward to gaining the skills and confidence necessary to forge a rich and diverse career as a dance artist.