Head of Professional Development, People Dancing: the foundation for community dance
Independent Contemporary Dance Artist, Coach & Arts Consultant
Louise describes herself as a woman of mixed Ugandan and English heritage and has been a versatile contributor to the UK dance scene for over two decades.
She is especially acknowledged for her national and international development work in dance by, for and with disabled people as well as, increasingly, her activism and thought leadership on equity and inclusion in the British arts scene.
In 2006 her company of cross-generational, culturally diverse, disabled and non-disabled professional dancers, ‘Foot in Hand’ made history at Bloomberg’s Place Prize semi-finals with one of the first works featuring dancers with impairments. In 2012, she co-choreographed the inclusive dance aspect of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Sailing Events in Weymouth and was commissioned to create new works for the Olympic and Paralympic torch celebrations in Leicester.
Based in Leicester, she has enjoyed a broad portfolio career as a performer, teacher, choreographer and – now parenthood is in progress – a consultant, strategic thinker, dramaturg and creative producer.
She describes her role at People Dancing as follows:
“I am attempting to produce change through my role and my association, as a still active freelance dance artist with a national and international ACE NPO, toward better equity around who People Dancing employs, supports, develops and serves.
It is a role I have been quietly growing into – or did it grow out of me? – since 2016 when Executive Director of People Dancing, Chris Stenton, suggested we apply for funds to work together to augment the voice and presence of women of the African Diaspora in community, educational and participatory dance. This allowed me to take and anti-racism and community organizing course in New York with Urban Bushwomen in summer 2017 which set me up to continue curating, writing and influencing back here in the UK.
In Autumn 2020 People Dancing invested in employing me part-time in order to extend ‘Voice and Presence’ to include all global majority artists and the work now sits under the umbrella of our generalised anti-racist activity and REACH! People Dancing’s network for global majority heritage artists/those who experience racism.
Our journey together, which with extends all the way back to membership in the mid-90s through serving on the board 2002-2009, continues now that I am a member of the Executive Team, into industry thought leadership and Change Making for the future”
Louise trained at London Contemporary Dance School, Coventry University (Performing Arts) holds a first-class degree in Film and Literature from the University of Warwick and trained as a life coach. She has served in governance roles on Birmingham Royal Ballet Education Committee, at ArtReach, a multi- and outdoor arts company, NeSSIE, a children’s mental health charity and ASSITEJ UK, one branch of a larger international network around arts for young audiences. She is currently a trustee of Phoenix Dance Theatre, the UKs leading Black contemporary dance company and mentors prospective board members for board-arts organisation matching service RIAC (Responsible Influence in Arts and Culture).