Month: February 2026

Get Your Tickets Now! In-person Workshop….

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Exploring Video Design, Dance and Accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing audiences

When: Thursday 19th March (9:30am – 12:30pm) St John’s Centre. Trent Vale. ST4 6QD

Book your tickets here: https://shorturl.at/PM1hs PAY WHAT YOU CAN – suggested £25

This workshop is open to all, with or without a dance background, such as film makers, performance makers, deaf artists, BSL Interpreters, producers, educators, commissioners, leaders, third sector organisations, students, and our deaf community.

We want you to explore how technology can be a key creative tool. By integrating accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing audiences from the start, we aim to spark new ways of thinking and making.

Join this workshop with Nua Dance to explore the different access offers for deaf and hard of hearing audiences that they have developed over the last 6 years, with special emphasis on the interaction between video design and dance—both in live performance and film. Through practical exercises and discussion, we’ll examine how video can shape dramaturgy, enhance visuals, and expand accessibility.

Nua Dance has been researching the integration of dance and technology since 2020, first with NOISE and now with Bending Reality, their latest production.

A white female with white short hair, wearing a turquoise jacket and headphones placed around the back of her neck, is looking towards a black male, wearing a black bandana and a black top. Both are standing in front of a mirrored background, and their reflections can be seen.

Facilitators:

Ben Glover, long-term video design collaborator of Nua Dance. Ben is deaf himself and has specialised in creative captions. He also works regularly with companies such as Stopgap, Graeae and Deafinitely Theatre.

Neus Gil Cortes, artistic director of Nua Dance, has been working with deaf artists and audiences since 2020 through her own creations and as dramaturg with Maral Mamaghanizadeh, Deaf Explorer and a workshop facilitator with Remark!

What to Expect:

  • A mix of shared experiences, short video excerpts, and hands-on exercises integrating video into performance.
  • A space to share tools, explore new possibilities for your own work and discuss approaches to access for deaf and hard of hearing people in a safe space.
  • The opportunity to try access offers such as a Woojer vest (haptic technology that vibrates to sound)
  • The workshop will be BSL interpreted

Schedule: Arrive from 9am
9:30 – 10:50 Session 1

10:50 – 11:00 Break

11:00 – 12:20 Session 2

12:20 – 12:30 Debrief/open conversation

Venue Information: Free on-site car park to the side of the venue. Plus, ample on-street parking is available in the surrounding areas.

Thanks in advance for joining us!

Questions? Contact rachael@frontlinedance.co.uk

Join Us! Online Workshop – Embedding audio description into the creative process and performance.

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ONLINE: Monday 16th March at 1pm – 4:15pm

Join Stuart Waters https://www.head-on.co.uk  and Willie Elliott http://wevoices.co.uk for an online workshop, where you will be introduced to how Stuart and Willie began a journey in 2021 into embedding audio description from the outset of a creative process for performance and touring. This covers research, creation and performance stages of the creative process.

They will both co-lead the workshop, sharing their practice from touring work, A Queer Collision, https://www.head-on.co.uk/a-queer-collision 

Image to the left: Stuart is a white male with short cropped hair who is seated on the floor in a studio space looking over to the side. An open notebook lies on the floor in front of him and he is wearing a black vest top and navy blue tracksuit bottoms. Overlaid the image is the text “Stuart Waters” Image to the right: A head and shoulders image of Willie. He is stood in front of a brick wall. He is a white man with a bald head, wearing glasses and has a grey, mousey brown beard and tash. Willie is wearing a pale blue, v-necked jumper. The white text along the bottom reads, Willie Elliot.

The workshop will involve listening, watching, and experimenting with embedding audio description yourself. It will include fun tasks, sharing experiences, and a Q&A session. The aim is to introduce a different relationship to access and encourage you to adapt and rethink your approaches. They will share what they chose at the time of creation, but audio description offers many other possibilities. This is an opportunity to play and think differently about it.

Workshop schedule

The workshop will take place on Teams, with plenty of screen breaks and time to work creatively away from the screen. Please arrive having had lunch.

1pm – 1:45pm: Welcome, check in and introduction to Stuart and Willie, their practices and sharing of A Queer Collision.

1:45 – 2pm: Break

2pm – 2:50pm: Willie Elliott will lead an introduction to audio description practical workshop and tasks. This part of the workshop will close with a conversation held by Stuart.

2:50pm – 3pm: Break

3pm – 3:45pm: The final practical experience of embedding audio description led by Stuart and Willie.

3:45pm – 4:15pm: Q&A and check out.

Suggested Pay What You Can – £25

Register and get your tickets via this link: https://shorturl.at/6E3Y4 Once registered, we’ll send you the Teams Meeting Link.

We welcome deaf, disabled, neurodivergent people, and access service providers like audio describers and BSL interpreters to attend. You don’t have to be an artist. Your lived experience will help us improve access, develop current methodologies, and continue the conversation.

Questions? Contact rachael@frontlinedance.co.uk

Thanks in advance for joining us!

Connect & Collaborate 2026

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WEBINAR: Wednesday 18th March at 11:30am – 1:30pm. Join us to find out more about the project, the artists involved, collaborations, and the next steps. Plus, key reflections and guidance on learning to strengthen access, inclusion, and advocacy.

Book your tickets here: https://shorturl.at/nV86z 
FREE – donations welcomed. Once registered, we’ll send you the Microsoft Teams Link.

Schedule:

  • 11:30am: Welcome and Project Overview 
  • 11:40am: Artists’ Introductions
  • 12:00pm: Five-minute screen break
  • 12:05pm: Group 1 Sharing
  • 12:20pm: Group 2 Sharing
  • 12:35pm: Group 3 Sharing
  • 12:50pm: Five-minute screen break
  • 12:55pm: Key reflections and guidance
  • 13:15pm: Questions and answers
  • 13:30pm: Close

Connect & Collaborate 2026’s 9 talented artists!

Lucy, is a white female with short hair and fringe who is standing sideways on and smiling. She is wearing a mustard yellow zip up hoodie and has dangling gold hoop earrings with green semi circles attached to the bottom. Overlaid the image is the text “Lucy Haighton’ and FRONTLINEdances, Art Council England and Funded by UK Government logos in white.

Lucy is an independent multidisciplinary movement artist working across choreography, performance, community facilitation and artistic direction.

Find out more: https://lucyhaighton.com
Photo credit: Laura Page

Stuart is a white male with short cropped hair who is seated on the floor in a studio space looking over to the side. An open notebook lies on the floor in front of him and he is wearing a black vest top and navy blue tracksuit bottoms. Overlaid the image is the text “Stuart Waters” and FRONTLINEdances, Art Council England and Funded by UK Government logos in white.

Stuart is a Contemporary Dance Artist, performer and teacher whose practice has shifted into maker, researcher, curator, facilitator, mentor and coach (EMCC Senior practitioner accreditation).

Find out more: https://www.head-on.co.uk | https://stuartwaterscoaching.co.uk

Caroline is a white female with mid length blonde hair who is standing sideways on and smiling in an outdoor garden space. She is wearing a pink, red and green floral top. Overlaid the image is the text “Caroline Butterwick” and FRONTLINEdances, Art Council England and Funded by UK Government logos in white.

Caroline is a Freelance journalist, writer, community artist and researcher.

Kayleigh is white female with dark hair looking over her shoulder against a dark green background. She is wearing a burgundy turtle neck vest and has a slight smile.Overlaid the image is the text “Kayleigh Price” and FRONTLINEdance, Art Council England and Funded by UK Government logos in white.

Kayleigh is a freelance dance artist, choreographer and Artistic Director of Company K, making autobiographical work using her own experiences to demonstrate shared commonalities.

Find out more: https://www.companyk.co.uk/

Brannon is an asian male who is leaning back in a bucket chair with wheels in a white studio space and smiling. He is wearing a cap with the peak at the back, black tshirt and trousers with black adidas trainers. Overlaid the image is the text “Brannon Yau” and FRONTLINEdance, Art Council England and Funded by UK Government logos in white.

Brannon is a Filmmaker. Alumnus of Northern School of Contemporary Dance, transitioned into film through the creation of dance films over the course of COVID. Now working predominantly in dance films to narrative and documentaries.

Find out more: www.brannonyaufilms.com | https://www.instagram.com/brannonyaufilm

Shaun is a white male who is seated in a wheelchair and gesturing with his hands as he looks over his left shoulder as if mid sentence. He is wearing a mustard yellow turtle neck and brown trousers with a black wrist watch on his left arm. Overlaid the image is the text “Shaun Fallows” and FRONTLINEdance, Art Council England and Funded by UK Government logos in white.

Shaun is a performance poet born with Cerebral Palsy and a wheelchair user. His poetry ranges from the frustrations of everyday access issues to travel, dating, and growing up, with humour or poignancy.

Find out more: http://www.shaunfallowspoetry.com/ | https://vimeo.com/885579163?share=copy | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnQKyTsSnNk

Louise is a white female with light blonde hair cut into a shoulder length bob and waved. She is smiling and wears a denim jacket. Overlaid the image is the text “Louise Stones” and FRONTLINEdance, Art Council England and Funded by UK Government logos in white.

Louise is a BBC and commercial radio presenter, broadcaster, interviewer & reporter.

Holly is pictured kneeling in front of a large stained glass window, She is wearing a green and white striped sweatshirt. Her hands are held in front of her in an expressive gesture, thumb and forefinger of one hand touching as if describing something fine or delicate. Overlaid the image is the text “Holly Thomas” and FRONTLINEdance, Art Council England and Funded by UK Government logos in white.

Holly is a UK based dance artist, choreographer, performer and co-director of Half Light Projects C.I.C. Resident at the Watershed’s Pervasive Media Studio in Bristol and a member of the West of England Sight Loss Council’s arts and culture forum. Exploring the often-uncharted territory of dance and visual impairment and the aesthetics of choreography from a non-visual perspective.

Find out more: https://hollythomasdance.co.uk/about/
Photo Credit: Vonalina Cake

Mel is a white female is smiling showing her white teeth. She has light blonde shoulder length hair, blue eyes and is wearing a blue tie-dyed style sweatshirt with different hues of blue. Overlaid over the text is "Mel Osbourne" and at the bottom are the FRONTLINEdance, Arts Council England and Funded by UK Government logos in white

Mel is a local theatre maker, writer, actor, drama teacher and facilitator.

We’re an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation, which means funding thanks to taxpayers play a huge part in supporting our work.

#ConnectAndCollaborate# DisabledArtists #NeurodivergentArtists #InclusiveArts #FRONTLINEdance #StokeOnTrent