WomanEwer
CONNECTING & EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH THE ARTS
“I have a bruise”
Under the artistic direction of Laura Kenyon, WomanEwer provides a connection between women through the arts and offers a safe space to explore ideas around sexual abuse and domestic violence using movement, voice and visual art.
Videographer: Rocio Chacon
“I have a bruise” Tour dates 2024
A 55 min live performance based on real life stories from women, performed by professional dancers who are all survivors of abuse. The work addresses sensitive issues that can be challenging, and at the same time it celebrates womanhood, survival and strength, advocating for women to have their own voice in society.
"The barrier of silence broke with the whipping of their clothes & hair...their gestures…wild” Review by Dance Art Journal
Supported by Arts Council England and RASASC Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre
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RESIDENCY AT THE HALLEY GALLERY LONDON
During 2 weeks, AD Laura worked with a visual artist, Melanie Kenyon, to develop an immersive live performance. As mother & daughter, they both joined forces & combined their practices into creating an art installation, 3 performances & a Q&A to celebrate International Women’s day.
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COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS AT CENTRE 151
Commissioned by Near Neighbours, WomanEwer hosted a series of 10 free workshops at Centre 151, a refuge for the South East Asian Community based in Haggerston. These activities included Dance, Sound Healing, Guided Massage & Self Defence. Providing safeguarding provisions, this program is integral to her mission: “Connecting women through the arts and offering a safe space to open the dialogue around consent.
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RESIDENCY AT UGLY DUCK LONDON
Supported by Ugly Duck, AD Laura Kenyon, Vivian Wai Shan Luk & Sara Maurizi developed and researched ways to tell their stories and those from women they had interviewed previously. They used movement & improvisation to translate the repeated abuse with the generally accepted, yet limiting narrative of being a woman.
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COMMISSION DISRUPT 2020 BARBICAN CENTRE LONDON
Under the artistic direction of Laura Kenyon, WomanEwer was selected to create a short film about sexual abuse against women using movement & spoken words. The project connected over 100 women internationally, to take part through dance, letters, poems and recordings.
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RESIDENCY WINNER ACTON MEWS DANCE STUDIO
This week long residency enabled Laura & her dancers to develop creative and improvisational tasks to find a vocabulary and lead workshops to groups of women from different communities, professional dancers, as well as non-movers.
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MARSEILLE INTENSIVE
In August 2021, Laura went back to her country to test creative tasks with women of different ages and different backgrounds. 13 women, aged 24 to 64 years old, attended a week’s intensive that included a combination of yoga, dance, voice work and creative writings. They finished with a short performance open to the public & documented the research.
Ewer is an old word for a jug, its shape is reminiscent of the female form and extends to the idea of the container-keeper-receiver, giver and guardian of life, nourishment and stories. New and Newer relates to the notion of revival, revitalization, growth, recognition of experience, rooting and flourishing.
a female led creative team.
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Laura Kenyon
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & PERFORMING ARTIST
Originally from France (French/English duo nationality), Laura is an international performing artist, currently . Mostly based in London since 2016, she co-created WomanEwer in 2021. Laura graduated from Kingston University with BA HONS in dance & Jasmin Vardimon 2, & currently works with Van Huynh Co, Etta Ermini Dance Theatre & Autin Dance Theatre.
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Melanie Kenyon
VISUAL ARTIST & RESEARCHER
Melanie Kenyon has dual British/French nationality and lives and works in Marseille, Southern France. She has been teaching English Culture and Communication at the Ecole supérieure d’art et design Grenoble-Valence since 1990. She combines bilingual poetic texts and reading-performance, often in collaboration with musicians, with visual art work including collages, drawing, painting and ceramics.
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Nicolette Wilson-Clark
PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Nicolette Wilson-Clarke is the founder of The Creative Genius - a psychotherapy, coaching, facilitation and consultancy agency specialising in supporting the emotional and mental well-being of creatives. Nicolette is passionate about positively shifting negative cultures surrounding mental health within the creative industry and intends to be a conduit for change promoting inclusivity and acceptance for all.
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Wai Shan Vivian Luk
PERFORMING ARTIST
Wai Shan Vivian Luk graduated from a master degree in Contemporary Dance with Distinction in 2017 at London Contemporary Dance School. She has performed in Singapore, UK, Florence, Napoli, Brazil, Vienna, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland and Portugal. She collaborated with choreographers including Ismael Ivo (former dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and founder of ImPulsTanz)、Laura Arís Alvarez (former dancer of Ultima Vez)、Natalia Hoecna (former dancer of NDT)、Christine Gouzelis ( former dancer of Jasmine Vardimon Company and Hofesh Shechter Company)、Rob Tannion (former dancer of DV8). Currently working with Gecko Theatre and Van Huynh Company.
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Sara Maurizi
PERFORMING ARTIST
Sara Maurizi is a dance artist based between London and Europe Mainland. After graduating from Trinity Laban, Sara was a dancer in VERVE, postgraduate company of NSCD, touring works by Maxine Doyle, Joan Cleville’, Ben Wright, and Noa Zuk and Ohad Fishof. Sara has collaborated internationally with choreographers such as WomanEwer- Laura Kenyon, Kimberly Bartosik, Claudia La Vista, Patscharaporn Distakul, Compagnia Malacarne- Alice Gosti, Valentina Romito, CIE Erem – Tommy Cattin, Maxine Doyle, Joao Cidade, Supple Nam, among others. Sara is the co-founder of the London-based collective VI.SA. Dance Project, with whom she creates work in collaboration with Virginia Poli.
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Jess Pang
SELF DEFENCE INSTRUCTOR
Jess is a fitness instructor, martial arts enthusiast & part time osteopathy student. She believes that Muay thai kickboxing and Brazilian jiu jitsu can help women build confidence and self-esteem.
WomanEwer - Short film directed by Laura Kenyon for DISRUPT 2022 Funded by The Barbican and The Guildhall School of Music and Drama Videography: Celine Forten
Residency directed by Laura Kenyon in Marseille, supported by Fakir Club Videography: Clemi Kenyon