Midlands Made: Minute Comissions
We are excited to announce the appointees of the Midlands Made Minute Commission.
DX has awarded six Midlands-based artists & collectives a £1K commission to produce a new Screendance Short of one minute in length. Each film explores themes of identity, lived experience and the future – all set within the region. From Jazz to Hip Hop, to Punk styles – these Screendance Shorts will celebrate the breadth of creative dance talent in the Midlands.
Meet the artists
Aidan Yau, Shaq Shadare & Kadafi Mulula
We are 3 creatives, based in Leicester, with proficiency in dance, music, film and drama. Our dance skills focus on Breaking, Hip Hop and Contemporary and as members of street dance troupe, Code Crew, we have won national and international championships such as BDO British and Worlds, and Soar European. Individually, we have worked with artists and projects such as One Dance UK, Stealthboy, Lucemae and more. We are hungry for greatness and are keen to show what we have to offer.
“We’re so excited to be presenting our project as a part of the BIDF under DanceXchange; An organisation that’s so passionate about the development of artists and their vision. We know the mentoring we will receive from Motion Dance Collective, is exactly what we need to take us to the next stage of our journey!”
Asnath Losala
Asnath is a Deaf athlete and street dancer. She competed in Deaf Olympics in 2017. In 2019 she featured in HERE/NOT HERE a hip hop music drama showcasing a new visual language for story-telling by combining British Sign Language, Visual Vernacular, urban dance, music, and football, directed by Bim Ajadi and broadcast by BSL Zone. In 2020 she was commissioned by Deaf Explorer and China Plate to make a 60-second video, “It Get’s Lighter From Here.” Her video ‘Conquérir’ was a huge success, gaining 321 views on China Plate Twitter feed.
I’m so excited to be commissioned by DX and Motion Dance Collective. I think we have a lot to learn from each other and I’m looking forward to creating a dance film with support from these amazing organisations.
Romy Ashmore-Hills
Romy is an early career freelance artist based in Birmingham with interests in film making, dance, theatre and comedy songwriting. After completing a degree in Drama from the University of Exeter, Romy has been working as a freelance artist in the participatory arts as well as continuing to make her own work. She is currently working with Reel Access, Women & Theatre, Round Midnight, and DanceXchange, as well as collaborating with an animator and puppeteer on independent projects.
Take part in Romy’s questionnaire about youth cultures in Birmingham, which will be featured in her film. Anyone, from any background in Birmingham, is welcome to take part. Take the survey
I am buzzing! I’m really excited to be able to bring my ideas to life with the support and guidance of screen dance professionals. It feels like an opportunity to kickstart my creative journey into film making.
Tanna Chamberlain
Tanna is an interdisciplinary experimental performer and choreographer. After graduating in 2012 with a degree in English and Drama, Tanna returned to dance. She earned a Diploma in Elite Dance Performance in Melbourne, Australia in 2016 after two years of full time training in various disciplines, with a focus on contemporary dance and hip hop. She has since taught open level classes in Vancouver, Canada and is now studying part-time at the Royal Birmingham conservatoire for her masters in experimental performance. Tanna’s more recent work is conceptually driven.
Receiving the commission I felt excited, super grateful to have support with my project and ready to jump right in!
Tyrone Williams
I am a neurodiverse professional performing artist who has been acting, dancing and making music for eight years. My experience in theatre began when I was a student at Queen Alexandra College and has continued through five years of working with multi-sensory performance company Spectra. I enjoy developing my skills and creativity through devising and collaborating, most recently working on Spectra’s first multi-sensory, online show for which I worked on found sound music composition and performed live over Zoom.
I am also a Parallel Athlete and a member of Birchfield Harriers. I compete up and down the country in open events and have competed internationally for Team England in the Cerebral Palsy World Games (CPISRA). I compete in Shot Put, Discus and Javelin.
I am feeling fantastic about working with DanceXchange and Motion Dance Collective. I’m excited to learn about directing dance film and about sharing my film with many people.
Devon Nelson
My name is Devon Nelson, I’m 19 years old and I’m from Wolverhampton. I am a movement artist and budding movement educator working in the fields of both dance and yoga. I trained at Birmingham Ormiston Academy and have worked with various dance companies and arts organisations in and around the West Midlands.
I feel so lucky to have been given this opportunity and think it will be a deeply enriching experience to observe and learn from the practice of Motion Dance Collective
