Wildfire Rising is an arts development programme that aims to remove barriers of inequality by investing in and supporting Global Majority Dance Artists to make way for the rising of their artistry, representation and development.
Associate Artists
As part of the Wildfire Rising programme, Movema will support three dance artists from the Bristol area who are from the Global Majority* through a new paid Associate Artist role.
*By ‘global majority’ we mean people from communities that experience racial inequality. ‘Global majority’ may refer to people who identify as Black, Asian, Brown, Latinx, dual-heritage, of multiple ethnic heritage, indigenous to the global south, and /or have experienced discrimination based on the colour of their skin, or ethnicity.
The Associate Artist programme, which runs from May 2024 to the end of January 2025, comprises; a bursary of £1200 for bespoke training and development, supported by regular paid cohort coaching and shared learning, a final sharing opportunity, project management support, and access support where required.
Associate Artists
We’re delighted to share that our three Associates are Divija Melally, Lildonia Lawrence and Deepraj Singh
Divija Melally
A contemporary and Indian classical dancer, Divija’s practice explores the amalgamation of contemporary and Indian Classical dance. She is interested in creating works that explore social and political themes.
Part of the Sadlers Wells South Asian Dance Development programme, Divija has twice been commissioned by Pegasus Theatre, and she has performed and collaborated with Trigger, Dam Van Huynh Company & Sweetshop Revolution. She is a resident at ARC Stockton and Kunstlerstadt Kalbe (Germany).
Divija currently works with Borderlands to organise workshops with the refugee and asylum seeker community in Bristol.
“I look forward to connecting with different communities, taking dance and movement to new spaces, and informing my artistic practice through the Wildfire Rising Programme.”
Lildonia Lawrence
Lildonia is a dance, movement and yoga instructor who brings a unique blend of mindfulness and physicality to her practice.
Lildonia’s classes embody a celebration of diversity and self-expression. She particularly enjoys styles from across the Globe and has a soft-spot for Afro-Caribbean and African diaspora styles.
Her choreography is a reflection or her belief in the power of movement to heal and transform, drawing inspiration from her own health journey and experiences with anxiety and chronic illness.
She hopes to create dance spaces which foster community and where everyone feels empowered to move and thrive..
“Through Wildfire Rising, I plan to increase my knowledge of co-creation and co-created choreography to encourage community participation and the sharing of stories from diverse communities.”
Deepraj Singh
A performer, choreographer , facilitator and teacher, Deepraj currently practices contemporary and street styles. He has worked with Shobana Jeyasingh & Gary Clarke
He explores and facilitates improvised movement, finding authenticity through movement exploration. He has a keen interest in creating choreography through stories and narratives, with a mixture of abstract and narrative lead movement.
Alongside his own practice, Deepraj has toured internationally with Akademi’s ‘The Troth’ (by Gary Clarke), and nationally with Anatomical and Casson & Friends.
“With the bursary I will be integrating Bhangra in to my improvisation and dance practice and centring my heritage within my movement to open more doors for people of my community and others that wish to centre their own heritage”
Programme TEAM
Jazlyn Pinckney
Evaluator
Jazlyn Pinckney is a freelance producer and evaluator, and is the executive producer for Air Giants; known for its huge, emotionally expressive, soft robotic creatures and spaces.
With a wealth of over 12 years of experience, Jazlyn Pinckney is a seasoned creative producer specialising in creative tech, inclusion, equity in design, and complex project management.
From managing national and international projects across artistic disciplines, Jazlyn’s work always holds a connecting thread of bringing all narratives into the creative process.
Sara Dos Santos
Coach
Sara Dos Santos is an Artist, Cultural Producer and Policy Advisor with a passion for raising awareness, shifting the invisible boundaries for Global Majority professionals and bringing hope through art and movement.
Sara’s multidisciplinary career includes working with organisations such as the Greater London Authority, Dance Umbrella, East London Dance, Buckinghamshire University, Royal Court Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, Trinity Centre, and The Royal Exchange Theatre, to mention a few.
At the heart of her practice, Sara listens, advocates for creativity and self-expression, and enjoys getting stuck into grassroots initiatives.
