LGI’s Make a Start residency program supports projects in the early stages that are challenging choreographic thinking and exploring new experimental approaches to dance practice.

The 2023 residents are:

Andrew Treloar, Dancement
This residency will generate initial material for a new full-length dance work incorporating various modes of performance and participation: Dancer, Cameo, Participant and Viewer.

Caitlin Dear, Queer(y)ing The Situation
A second development for new solo dance work. During the residency Caitlin will explore how the use of framing (through performative set-ups such as design elements, text and audience arrangement) could be used to have a queer-ing effect on the situation or space the solo is presented within.

Chiharu Valentino, Commandments
A new solo dance performance in a club space researching the impact that technology and social media have had on Chiharu’s generation—in particular on young people of colour, who have found refuge within online spaces. The work will explore our embodied attachment to our devices that denote a sense of spirituality within their design.

Iris Elgar, Love of my Life
Love of my Life is the first iteration of a queer durational performance work. The aim is to carve a space for reflection upon human connection.

Oli Mathiesen, Full Digital Upload
In this residency Oli will be researching and developing new practices with a portfolio of different A.I., augmented, photo and film software to redefine how we create, document and present dance.

Phaedra Brown, Remnants Re-Made
A collaborative work between Phaedra Brown and Sarah Saxon that looks at the relationships between speaking, writing, and dancing. Precisely, the transference points and feedback loops between these modes.

Samakshi Sidhu, Trouble
A new full length solo work exploring body rhythms through movement, voice modulation, text and singing.

Samara Reweti, Horoeka
In this residency Samara will develop and extend Horoeka into a full-length work. Horoeka is a Māori contemporary and street-styles solo dance work that unravels the intimate connection between growth and grief.

Sandra Parker, Safehold
Development of a new full-length choreographic work Safehold—in particular, extending and developing choreographic structures using existing material, and incorporating the element of sound working with a composer.

Siobhan McKenna, A Simple Sentence (working title)
The beginning of research and the creation of a new dance work for stage. Siobhan will be developing text and movement material, performing both things at once to explore how these modes of communication can work together.