Earthfall’s 2015 immersive touring production, Stories from a Crowded Room, was presented with the Best Dance Production Award at the 2016 Wales Theatre Awards.
Speaking after the awards ceremony in Cardiff, Jessica Cohen said: “The company took a risk presenting such a large-scale work, with ten performers on stage and live music, especially in the current climate. Our audiences and critics provided amazingly positive feedback during the tour and I’m proud that we took the risk – after all, Arts Council of Wales subsidised companies are encouraged to be risk taking.”
Earthfall founders and joint Artistic Directors Jessica Cohen and Jim Ennis also received the Special Achievement Award.
Jim Ennis accepted the award, saying “Jess and I have been creative partners for over 25 years. Thank you for this award and congratulations to all the nominees and all those performers, directors and creative individuals who just get up and do it despite this climate of adversity.”
A press release on each of the awards can be downloaded from the links:
The Award Presenters and Winners
Earthfall Joint Artistic Directors Jessica Cohen & Jim Ennis
After 25 years producing award-winning productions and film, not just in Wales but across the UK and many other countries, Earthfall will not be included in the Arts Council of Wales portfolio of revenue funded organisations from April 2016. In late October we were informed by an independent assessor appointed by ACW, that we were unable to appeal ACW’s decision, or their assessment process.
Whilst our current production Stories from a Crowded Room was touring this autumn across Wales and England, to sell-out performances, the board and staff have been considering this decision. Earthfall will continue to deliver education and participation activity, and produce high quality touring work.
As a result of this reduction of core funding, our Board have made the decision to scale down the core operation and release all staff from their contracts from 31st March 2016. We are upset to be loosing such a talented and creative team of people and, if you are interested in employing them, please do get in touch.
As a result of this scaling down, our opportunities for continuing to be an employer of a large number of performers and creative colleagues will be limited. Earthfall will no longer have access to a permanent office space or the benefit of a consistent administrative, marketing and education/participation infrastructure. Therefore, we will also be unable to continue to offer emerging artists free R&D/production support, free technical equipment, loan of vehicles and mentoring as the resources to provide this support will be focussed on our core activity of producing work. The development of new work will be funded on a project basis and our education and participation will no longer be subsidised. We are continuing to help develop the next generation of performers during their professional training via our partnerships with Universities in Wales and England.
Over the last 25 years Earthfall have employed over 300 creative individuals, freely supported 35 emerging artists, produced 28 new touring productions (always commissioning new music, performed live at every performance), and three of the company’s films have been screened across the world, one winning a prestigious BAFTACymru award.
Earthfall would like to thank our audiences, colleagues and people across the world who have written to express support for the company at this time and have supported the company during the last 25 years. Earthfall will continue to create new productions, tour, and work with highly creative and inspiring individuals– just in a different way.
Earthfall
Thank you to everybody who attended a performance in Birmingham, and a special thanks to the Front of House and technical staff. We hope Sam, who was on work experience, enjoyed his time at mac and gained an insight into how a touring dance company operates. It was a great way to end the autumn tour, with the park outside mac looking wonderfully autumnal – a perfect setting for Bonfire Night.
The post show talk was our busiest of our tour; it’s always special to hear our Artistic Directors talk about their creative process. We love talking to people about our work, if you couldn’t make our post show talks but have questions please let us know using the #EFstories hashtag, and keep your eyes peeled for answers on Facebook and Twitter.
Take a look at the photo gallery of our time in Birmingham below:
Earthfall are to run a two day intensive on the 19th & 20th November, which will take place at Ballet Cymru as part of the Cardiff Dance Festival programme. The intensive is targeted to both dance, physical theatre and music practitioners, professionals and final year/ recent graduate students. The sessions will be led by Joint Artistic Director Jessica Cohen, with a selection of Earthfall’s exceptionally talented performers.
This brilliant professional development opportunity is suitable for those with an interest in exploring the relationship between movement and live music through a devising process, and in developing individual physical, creative and choreographic skills. This is the chance to take knowledge and practical skills one step further and it is absolutely FREE.
“I was lucky enough to attend Earthfall’s Professional Classes and found them to be not just great fun, but incredibly useful in developing my own skills and techniques as a dancer. I can’t wait to get involved again.” Cêt Haf, Freelance Dancer.
This will be an amazing opportunity for dancers and musicians from across Wales and further afield to come together to develop their professional training under the guidance of Earthfall’s expertise.
This opportunity has been made possible with the support of Ballet Cymru who are also nurturing the creative development of dancers in Wales through the Ballet Cymru Associate, residency and intensive programmes.
To book your place simply follow the link provided to the Eventbrite page
For more information please contact Kelly Barr, Education and Participation, at education@earthfall.org.uk
