We are proud to share news that NSCD alumni Lydia Cottrell and Bar Groisman have been selected for this year's edition of Choreodrome at The Place. Choreodrome is The Place’s annual residency programme for experienced makers to explore new artistic territory without the pressure of creating a finished product.
Lydia Cottrell is a Leeds-based dance artist who graduated from NSCD's MA Dance & Creative Enterprise course in 2019.
Lydia creates multi-disciplinary performances that interrogate culture and technology, informed by her background in dance, live art and music.
As part of the VR residency, Lydia will be developing an immersive, digital experience called 'Brightside', a part dance-theatre, part spin class performance exploring the modern condition and the millennial psyche. Brightside will premiere as part of Leeds 2023 on 28, 29 & 30 September.
Lydia commented:
"I am really excited to have been selected for the VR residency, this will give me the opportunity to develop my new work Brightside into a digital VR experience expanding my practice in new ways.”
Lydia has a track record of successful commissions from Skimstone Arts, Yorkshire Dance, Leeds Playhouse and Drunken Chorus amongst others. Lydia has previously been awarded the Hull Dance Prize and FLINTsparks Prize, and been shortlisted for the Vantage Art Prize. She has also performed for artists such as the IDEA Assembly, Gary Clarke, Ann Liv Young and Jamie Fletcher.
(image: Lydia Cottrell promo shot for Brightside)
Bar Groisman completed the BA Hons in Contemporary Dance back in 2019. On graduating she founded Sababa Co - a contemporary dance theatre company creating physical and theatrical dance works that push the boundaries of movement, text, music, and set. Through her work, Bar endeavours to share personal insights into everyday human struggles, creating a platform to tackle undervalued and under-highlighted issues. Bar will use Choreodrome to continue researching her work Coiled Up, a contemporary dance theatre work exploring "the reality of having a womb".
After performing her work Aize Balagan at The Place's annual Resolution Festival back in 2020, Bar is excited to be back - and with a new show:
"In 2020, I presented my first work at the Resolution Festival - Aize Balagan. Now three years later, I'm excited to be back at The Place with my new show Coiled Up. I'm itching to get into the studio to keep discovering what the language of this show means. To keep exploring its lens and complete hormonal madness. I can't wait to share it with you all."
In addition to Aize Balagan, Bar's portfolio includes Chameleon Life for the Sommarlund Arts Festival in Lund, Sweden. She has movement-directed for award-winning Edinburgh Fringe show ‘This Is Not A Show About Hong Kong’ and the OFFIE-nominated show In This Smoking Chaos.
Bar is an Associate Artist with the award-winning company GymJam Theatre and sits as a co-chair on the Young Person’s Board for National Youth Dance Company.
Find out the full lineup of confirmed artists for this year's Choreodrome here.
