Salamanda Tandem People
Isabel Jones (Pictured with Takashi Kikuchi, Mickel Smithen and Audience) Isabel is an experienced collaborator, soundartist, singer, and director of Salamanda Tandem UK, (est 1989). For over 30 years Isabel has brought together performance, sound, movement, visual and sensory artists from the UK and all over the world, to make art works that cross boundaries between people and art forms to celebrate and cultivate human creativity. As director of Salamanda Tandem and a prolific creator and collaborator, the work has attracted Arts Council strategic organisation funding, and Grants for The Arts/National Lottery subsidy since 1994. In addition to that, Isabel as attracted grants, awards and commissions from the EU, Department of Trade and Industry, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, local authorities, Leeds University, Tallinn University, Opera North, Baerum Kulturhus Norway, Muse Company Japan, Opera North, Sound and Music, to name a very few. The key driver being meaningful relationships, and no-one more than Isabel accepts the role of artistic collaboration in that. Working across the fields of music, dance, visual arts, architecture, social care, academia, and health, she has directed, over 50 larger scale music and dance works, and many smaller ones.
Geoffrey Fielding. Geoffrey has worked as an associate artist since 2002, when he became company photographer and technical designer working on all ST projects: Triptych, Corrosion, Living Room, Quarry-o-sion, Touchstone exhibition, Ad Astra, Site Dance Site Music, Project 20, Touchstone White Cane, and Soundwalk into Wellbeing, and was responsible for the development of all the digital technology the company use, including the development of radio transmission, in our work, and in supporting Lewis Jones via access to technology. His careful and therapeutic eye for detail, has generated the unique aesthetic of Salamanda Tandem. Geoffrey is also involved in both the design and delivery of wellbeing projects and as co-designer, builder creator of our new studio building.
Lisa Holmes Pictured here performing at Hadley Learning Community with dancer Victoria Gannon. Lisa began her work with Salamanda Tandem as a student of Dance in Society at Surry University in 1993, and began working with the company in 1996 as a dance artist, producer, mentor and company manager, working in the senior team on all Salamanda Tandem projects. In 2013 she became chair of Salamanda Tandem.
Biant Singh. Biant is an accomplished tabla player, musician and artist, and is co-creator of Salamanda Tandem’s Soundwalk Into Wellbeing. Biant is also a mental health senior social worker working for Nottinghamshire County Council, for more than 2 decades, and since 2014 in co-production, where he worked closely with Isabel and our local community to develop the 5 ways to wellbeing and the soundwalk project.
Duncan Chapman. Duncan is a composer and musician. He worked with Eye Contact Dance Company, and as co-composer with Isabel on numerous Salamanda Tandem projects over many years. He was also a White Cane Tour Co-Director / Co-Composer
http://www.duncanchapman.org/present/royal-opera-house-fanfare-201213/http://music.britishcouncil.org/resources/education-organisations/individuals/duncan-chapman
Takashi Kikuchi is an accomplished viola player. Starting work with Salamanda Tandem in 2013, he was one of the co-creators of White Cane, and toured nationally with the company in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. He is also one of the 2020 commissioned artists to compose a work for Soundwalk Into Wellbeing
http://www.paraorchestra.com/person.php?id=26 http://balujimusicfoundation.org/mediavideo/inner-vision-orchestra-on-bbc-world-tv-2014.php
Mickel Smithen, is a performer and dance artist . He began working with Salamanda Tandem in 2005 while a student at Winchester College, and has worked as a performer on many Salamanda Tandem projects over a 16 years period. He is also a Co-Creator of White Cane, and one of the 2020 Soundwalk Into Wellbeing commissioned Artists
http://www.candoco.co.uk/event/the-show-must-go-on-2/http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/sep/20/35-amici-drive-review-wolfgang-stange-ambitious-spectacle
Associate Artists, Wellbeing Practitioners and Advocates featured on this site:
Tabla Player/musician: Biant Singh, Dance Artist: Mickel Smithen, Viola Player/composer: Takashi Kikuchi, Composer: Duncan Chapman, Designer: Richard Hughes, Dance Artist: Indra Slavena. Dance Artist: Sam White. Artist Advocate: Laura Mansford. Photographer / wellbeing practitioner Geoffrey Fielding. , Technical Support / Advocacy: Derek Grant, Movement and Advocacy: Caroline Robinson, Film Maker/academic: Stuart Collinson, Creativity Evaluator/Composer: Ray Kohn, Voice Artist: Nathan Campbell, Dance Artist/ Care Professional: Julie Hood. Dancer/choreographer: Helena Nicolao, Poet/Musician composer: Tony Baker. Writer: Esther Harris. Dance Artist: Natalie Speake. Soundartist: Dallas Simpson. Artist Advocate: Emily Malen, Musician: Dave Sturt.
Indra Slavena. Indra trained as a dancer, and has worked as a dance artist with Salamanda Tandem since 2013, on Ad Astra, White Cane and Soundwalk Into Wellbeing. Indra is now a para athlete
Mick Wallis Producer and Commissioner of White Cane, and Arts Work with People Post Grad Group. Professor of Performance and Cultural Industries Leeds University
Helena Nikolao (pictures at Villa Strauli with Isabel) Helena is a German Choreographer, yoga teacher and BMC practicioner
Julie Hood Julie is a dancer, and dance artist. She was one of 4 other dancers in Michael Clark’s first dance company and toured internationally with the company throughout the 1990’s. She joined Salamanda Tandem in 1998 as a dancer/performer in Triptych, then toured and developed projects with the company till 2008, when she became a care professional working with learning disabled person
Stella Couloutbanis. Stella first commissioned Salamanda Tandem to make ‘In-accessibility’, and ‘Resonance’ for the first two Not Dance Festivals, hosting 2 artist in residency’s for Isabel, and Eye Contact, as well as providing devising space while she was director of the Bonnington Gallery Trent University. A huge supporter of the company, she became chair in 2000, and served until 2009 when she worked as curator and company manager in developing Project 2020. Stella also worked as a volunteer and continues contributing to the company. Here pictured organising the audience for Quarry-osion
Company and Board Members:
Artistic Director: Isabel Jones
Chair: Lisa Holmes (Producer)
Geoffrey Fielding (Photographer / Board member / Osteopath),
Caroline Robinson (Board Member / dancer/early years teacher trainer)
Adviser: Sibyl Burgess (Curator).
Dramaturgy: Mick Wallis ( Emeritus Professor Leeds University PCI)