Rosina Bonsu Bursaries - artists announced!

By The Work Room & Barrowland Ballet on 25.05.22

The first recipients of the Rosina Bonsu Bursaries are Catriona Robertson and Clare Adam & Lesley Howard (working together). Developed by The Work Room & Barrowland Ballet, this programme is part of Creative Scotland’s Youth Arts Bursaries programme, funded by the Scottish Government to help talented young people recognising the challenges being faced through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bursaries provide the early career dance artists, with paid time over 6 months and the wrap-around support from both organisations, to instigate and develop their own creative projects. The bursaries have been named in honour of Rosina Bonsu who died in 2020, to mark her incredible influence on dance in Scotland. Rosina was an inspired dance artist, choreographer and educator who generously nurtured young artists throughout her career. You can read our tribute to her here. 

Catriona is a dance artist based in Motherwell who graduated from Trinity Labin in 2020. She is currently undertaking research into the physical articulation of vulnerability within practice and performance.

Catriona says:

I am both delighted and honoured to have been awarded the Rosina Bonsu bursary through the Work Room and Barrowland Ballet. With this support, I plan to explore how we can use empathy in the body as an important tool in understanding one another’s individual experience. This research will lead to the development of a new work by exploring the role of the community within the creative process. 

In addition, I hope to immerse myself in the exciting opportunities available with The Work Room and Barrowland Ballet. I am grateful that I also have the opportunity to learn from, be inspired by and share this great experience with Lesley and Clare. 

Clare, a Deaf Dance Artist, and Lesley, an Autistic Dance Artist, met while studying at the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance. Since graduating in 2020 they have been enjoying creating work togther that is immersive and interactive with accessibility at the forefront of their practice

Lesley & Clare say:

We are really grateful to have received the Rosina Bursary. We have both had the privilege of learning from Rosina, and want to do our best to share her kind qualities with ‘good people’.

 

We are excited to use the bursary to expand our knowledge & understanding of accessibility within the arts, how we can share this within the community and adapt it with a focus for the children’s dance sector. We’re also looking forward to supporting each other, working alongside some beautiful human’s; Artist Catriona, The Work Room and Barrowland Ballet as we begin this new journey.

 

See BSL version of Lesley & Clare’s statement : 

 

 

Look out on Barrowland Ballet and The Work Room’s website’s and social media pages for information about ways you can engage with the projects supported by theses bursaries. For more information or to get in contact with the artists email hello@theworkroom.org.uk

 

Image credits:

Top - Catriona Roberston | Dani Bower | One Dance UK

Bottom - Lesley Howard & Clare Adam | David Adam Photos

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