Back in year one of the National Festival of Making, choreographer Ruth Jones undertook an Art in Manufacturing Residency with Cherrytree Bakery. Working with movements inspired by the industrial bakery’s factory floor – the bakers themselves and a team of professional dancers performed ‘Traysway’ across a gloriously sunny festival weekend in 2017.
In 2017, exploring life on the factory floor seemed a fitting concept for Ruth. In 2020 during the current pandemic and lockdown due to Coronavirus, Ruth wanted to draw inspiration from her home to make a new dance that helped people stay active and creative!
When considering what our digital programme might look like during the Covid-19 restrictions, we spoke to Ruth about how she could conceive of a new choreography during lockdown times. We advertised the workshop on our social media which resulted in a series of Zoom workshops in which 21 households with participants of all ages took part in ‘Movement Club in the Kitchen, a Lockdown Choreography’. Participants were based all across the UK and one household even took part from The Netherlands!
Thanks Ruth and Festival of Making. Was a lovely thing to be doing things together with other people and like the way the moves turned into dance. Felt warm and full of beans at the end of it
You’re a natural Ruth. That was ace. You are so good. Friendly, professional, creative, encouraging, empowering, and very, very clear. It was a lovely experience. I would recommend it to my friends, so please let me know if you do it again
What a lovely project! My relationship with the kitchen I am using in my lockdown temporary home has been quite transformed!
