NEWS
The Smalls
March 2026Overjoyed to be awarded ACE NLPG funding for creation and testing for community touring of The Smalls, a project exploring the magical microworld of soil mesofauna with small people and their grown-ups.
This Smalls began with a fascination for moss and microworlds of all kinds, and ultimately introduced me to the weird and wonderful world of soil mesofauna. From pauropods (aka adorapods) to the magic of mites, these critters may be teenier than termites and weenier than worms (approx. 0.2 to 2mm in size!), but they are certainly mighty - essential in fact, to the future of our world.
Along the way I've developed a deep love and respect for these gorgeous little creatures, grown a tiny human of my own, and my artistic practice has taken a radical diagonal which has been rich, fertile and as nourishing as living soil. I couldn't be happier!!!
From the story of the soil to collective creature-ing and the song of the springtails - a huge thank you to Team Smalls and all who have wiggled with us thus far. In the current climate, we wouldn’t have made it here without strong partner support from The Place, Yorkshire Dance, The University of Leeds and a Jerwood Choreographic Research Project Bursary. Also shout out to Callum Holt, my producer and stalwart companion through it all.
Made with, by and for small people and their grown-ups, The Smalls still has far to grow and of course, we’ll do this the only way we know how - through dance, music, storymaking, song and FUN, fascinating, interactive art making. If you would like to find out more about these wonderful soil animals, visit www.chaosofdelight.org
With love and bugs!
Kick Off
July 2023
It’s been a busy old time lately. I’ve been doing lots of ranting, chanting and dancing with this rowdy band of women…
Kick Off is a bold and joyful outdoor dance theatre performance. Drawing on the physicality of football and its link to women's protest and activism, the piece explores the choreography of crowds, celebrating play and joy as an act of resistance. Led by Gracefool Collective and performed by an intergenerational community cast, Kick Off is a riotous celebration of music, movement and colour! Performances take place over the final weekend of July. See the LEEDS2023 website for more details.
Their body is a prophecy is a dreamy, evocative short film exploring themes of power, magic and place, co-created with four girls from Leeds. Expects masks, symbols, local green spaces and spirit animals. I can't wait to see what we've created on the big screen.
Commissioned by LEEDS2023 and the Young Creatives, the film will be screened on 14th July at Children's Day: Reimagined, an event curated by Fevered Sleep. This free, family-friendly event includes films, food, song and speeches at a unique temporary site, co-created with 2000+ kids from across Leeds to amplify their voices and ideas.
Their Body is a Prophecy
June 2023
The Institute of Everything
A festival of creative care and recovery post-Covid
September 2022
The Institute of Everything, a collaboration between Fevered Sleep and Clifton Green Primary School in York, began exploring learning through creativity and critical thinking in 2018. Following a pandemic-induced hiatus, Fevered Sleep were given the go ahead to return to the school in Autumn 2022. In particular, Year 3 were identified as being severely impacted by the pandemic, having missed two formative years of early years schooling.
I was invited as lead associate artist, to be a consistent presence, curating and delivering a term-long festival of creative care and recovery with the year group. The arc of the term focused on care for self, environment and other, moving primarily between three approaches: improvised free-play, yoga and mindfulness, nature connection and tactile work. We got our hands dirty exploring ‘what’s beneath’, and created radical visions of kid-centric futures through dance, sound, drawing and resting practices. The culmination is the Clifton Kids Takeover of the Winter 2022 Edition of Artychoke Zine.
Institute of Everything at Clifton Green Primary School by Coralie Datta, 2022
January 2022
This programme spans 1 year to research and develop my interdisciplinary practice; deepening my exploration of merging poetry and dance, alongside developing my work with film.
It includes space and time to research, specialist mentorship to support and culminates in a collaboration with a film-maker and musician. The programme is framed by residency periods at Yorkshire Dance, Shawbrook Dance Centre, Ireland.
Mentorship comes from award-winning storyteller and interdisciplinary performance maker Jo Blake-Cave, acclaimed poets / educators Rebecca Tantony and Anthony Anaxagorou, and screen-dance pioneer Andy Wood.
I’ll be working on developing a multi-stranded interdisciplinary arts project exploring the witch archetype.
With gratitude to ACE and all supporting artists / organisations.
How to make a witch
DYCP Grant for 2022
Invocation at BOLD! for Intercultured Festival by Cath Muldowney, 2022