SPINE AiRs 2023

Mannion

Artform: dance

Magdalena is a flamenco dancer & dancemaker. She works with both traditional and contemporary forms of flamenco and is serious in her pursuit of sharing the joy of dance with people.

She is co-artistic director of Dotdotdot Dance and one half of choreographers Luz & Mannion, who create thought-provoking multidisciplinary flamenco dance which has been presented at Sadler’s Wells, The Lowry, Dans i Nord, Buxton International Festival, among others.

Magdalena combines working with different dance companies with teaching flamenco and dance. In her own work she enjoys exploring using words and poetry as a creative tool to find movement qualities and patterns.

Rachel Lewis

Artform: poetry/spoken word

Justin Coe is a poet and spoken word theatre creator, specialising in work for young audiences.

For over twenty-five years, Justin has shared his passion for puckish poetics and heartfelt humour, entertaining and educating everywhere, from Sheppey to Shanghai and from The Savoy Hotel to street corners and a sitting room made entirely out of newspaper.

He is the author of The Dictionary of Dads (Otter-Barry Books, 2017) and The Magic of Mums (2020) and the writer/performer of ten family shows, including The House That Jackson Built (with Half Moon Theatre), a play inspired by Justin’s love of libraries.

Connect with Justin:
Website www.justincoe.co.uk
Twitter @literacyoutloud

Thandi is an upcoming Singer Songwriter and all round performer. Her style is mix of old and new school Hip-hop with a pinch of London swagger.

Thandi began her career as rapper on the Bristol underground scene. She cut her teeth in the scene by
performing at local events and open mics around Bristol such as St Paul’s Carnival.

She is an artist on the rise and here to spread positive energy!

Connect with Thandiwe:
Instagram @thandisocials

Tatenda Naomi Matsvai (aka 2tender) is a facilitator and devised performance maker, working with spoken word poetry in theatrical and non-theatrical performance contexts. Tatenda’s work is mainly bio mythical, infusing their lived experience with myth, to challenge colonial cosmologies. Their performances are joyful, participatory, and multidimensional.

They are currently developing their solo show Dark Matter for the Vault Festival on the 21st-25th February 2023. Tatenda’s work has been Offie nominated, and performed as part of Theatre Peckham, The Roundhouse Camden, The Cockpit for Voila Europe! festival and Between.Pomiędzy literary Festival (Poland).

Connect with Tatenda:
Website www.tatendanmatsvai.com
Twitter @MyNamesTatenda
Instagram @tatendax

Boroughs: Newham and Greenwich

George Murphy is a self-taught artist, printmaker and creative educator based in North London. They first started making art during a period of illness so that people would stop telling them to get a hobby, and have been doing it ever since.

George’s work increasingly explores themes around queerness, social justice, community care and disability. Most of their prints are a bit wonky and are hand-pressed using a metal spoon.

George loves creating art with others and is interested in exploring its potential as a medium for connection and social change. They have facilitated workshops for people of all ages and are passionate about making art accessible (and fun!) for everybody. They believe there is no such thing as bad drawing.

Connect with George:
Instagram @george.r.m.art

Boroughs: Newham and Greenwich

Bernadette is an author, storyteller, and theatremaker. She’s the author of five books about kindness, wonder, and creative activism. Her sixth book “Radical Kindness”, will be published in 2024 (Elliott and Thompson).

As a storyteller, she works in schools, museums, theatres and outdoors telling funny, magical and provocative stories about animals, plants, people and place. She’s currently storyteller for Trees for Cities, Butser Ancient Farm and the Southbank Centre.

Bernadette has previously been ‘writer in residence’ for Lesnes Abbey Wood, Lewisham Libraries, Talliston House and Gardens, Bexley Book Buzz, and Frequency Festival. She has created shows for organisations including National Theatre, Royal Albert Hall, and English Heritage. She delivers creative workshops for children, young people, and elders throughout the UK.

Connect with Bernadette:
Website www.bernadetterussell.com
Twitter @betterussell
Instagram @bernadetterussell

Boroughs: Merton and Sutton

Alice Frecknall is a poet, short fiction writer, and fine artist. Her debut poetry collection, Somewhere Something is Burning, was published by Out-Spoken Press (2021).

Her writing has been widely anthologised, including in fourteen poems, bath magg, Butcher’s Dog, and The Stinging Fly, and was shortlisted for the Out-Spoken Prize for Poetry 2019 and 2022 and the Lightship International Short Story Prize.

Alice has an MA in Creative Writing, is a Roundhouse Poetry Collective alumna, and member of the UniSlam Post-Emerging Cohort.

Connect with Alice:
Website www.alicefrecknall.com
Twitter @alice_frecknall
Instagram @alice_frecknall

Boroughs: Merton and Sutton.

Linden is a poet, performer, fiction writer and arts facilitator – they write about our connections with ecology, dreams for the future, ideas about belonging and family, and queer joy!

They have been an artist in residence at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, created a trail of poems and stories through the community gardens of Bethnal Green with the Live Art Development Agency, and they currently run creative writing clubs for young people at Ministry of Stories in Hoxton. They also like baking elaborate desserts, making pots, and reading sci-fi novels.

Connect with Linden:
Website lindenkatherinemcmahon.org

Boroughs: Islington and Tower Hamlets.

Cora Sehgal Cuthbert is a London based multi-disciplinary artist. Her work observes the connections between the personal, the cultural and a universal humanity/spirituality, with the aim of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. She works across several media including photography, sculpture, video and text. While the form of each work may change, the objective remains to explore moments of magic within the everyday.

Connect with Cora:
Website corasehgalcuthbert.com

Marika Mckennell is an award-winning playwright, poet and performer. Her work is inspired by her mixed heritage and the voices of her hometown – London.

She aims to centre stories from the margins, with passion and compassion. Marika’s work uses poetry and storytelling to highlight complexities in issues such as care and identity, drawing out nuance, and making links between past and present.

Marika is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and Royal Central School of Speech and Drama; she was also a Resident Artist at Round House London.

Marika’s poetry and theatre shows have been staged around the UK. Her poetry has been published in the British Journal of Psychotherapy, and she has performed around the world.

As an educator Marika facilitates creative writing workshops for organisations like Clean Break, Hoxton Hall, and Holborn Community association, working with people of all ages to inspire and empower through poetry.

Connect with Marika
Website www.marikamckennell.com
Instagram @marika_mckennell

Boroughs: Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham

Milly’s work spans a variety of creative strands; from directing and facilitating devised theatre-making with young people to designing workshops that promote learning and development, using creativity, for professionals. There is often a core theme of exploring how we can all become more inclusive with how we live in and view the world.

Milly also illustrates as a way of conveying ideas, capturing conversations and expressing stories.

Connect with Milly:
Website www.millyrolle.co.uk
Instagram @milly.rolle

Boroughs: Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham

Elsabet is a dancer and choreographer, with a foundation in hip-hop. Her work is rooted in storytelling and is inspired by the extensive potentials that art holds in building communities.

Elsabet’s performance work includes Body Politic’s ‘THEM’ (UK Tour 2022), Talawa’s ‘The Tide’ (UK Tour 2019-2022) and The Roundhouse’s ‘Hive City Legacy’ in collaboration with Hot Brown Honey (UK Tour 2018-19). All works center marginalized identities by giving voice to migrants, women and people of the global majority.

Over the years, Elsabet has honed her experience in working with micro, localized community groups, building her practice around people, space and connections. Her work is rooted in engaging with community networks including, but not limited to: young people, vulnerable adults, refugees and seniors. For the last 7 years, she has regularly facilitated in a range of participatory arts settings including UCL, The Roundhouse, Step In To Dance, LIFT and Talawa.

Elsabet’s work has been commissioned by and presented at Serendipity, Bernie Grant Arts Centre, The Place, Arts Admin, Goethe-Institut, Barbican, Lisa Ullman, Breakin’ Convention, Zinnema, and Tempo Festival amongst others.

Connect with Elsabet
Website: www.elsa-bet.com
Instagram: @elsabetter

Boroughs: Bromley and Lewisham

Jasmin Thien is a visually impaired actor, writer, stand-up comedian and spoken word artist. Born and raised in Brunei, she came to the UK to read a degree in Education, English, Drama and the Arts at the University of Cambridge.

Her work often focuses on disability, gender and racial issues. She is especially passionate about shining a light on difficult subjects in ways which are truthful and nuanced while remaining accessible to all.

She is currently part of the Diversifying Children’s Literature Programme led by Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho to create an anthology and performance of poetry for children.

Connect with Jasmin:
Twitter: @jasmin_thien
Instagram: @jasmin.thien

Boroughs: Bromley and Lewisham

Zohab Zee Khan is a performance poet, educator, and certified Life Coach.

Zohab has conducted over a thousand poetry and self- development workshops across the globe. He was crowned the National Poetry Slam Champion of Australia and co-founded The Pakistan Poetry Slam in 2015.

Zohab uses his knowledge as an educator and life coach to curate spaces that maximise growth, learning and overall wellness of all participants.

He has performed his poetry at some of the world’s premier writers’ festivals. As a 4th generation Australian of Pakistani heritage, Zohab has channeled his distinct life experiences into stories with the intent to educate.

Connect with Zohab
Website: zohabzee.com
Twitter @zohabzee
Instagram @zohabzeekhan

Boroughs: Brent and Harrow

Ramona Eve is a Participatory P(r)op Artist and Scene Maker, her work reflects her fascination with people, puns, patterns, abstraction and surrealist symbolism. During lockdown, she became a ‘holiday artist,’ striving to build paradise wherever she is.

Ramona is also a creative youth worker and professional workshop facilitator. She has experience in designing and making large-scale installations in various settings. Most recently she has been co- creating art projects with young people and other artists that encourage a reimagining of what surrounds us.

Ramona believes collaboration, clear communication and play are key to creating inclusive community arts practice.

Connect with Ramona Eve

Website: ramonaeve.co.uk
Instagram: @ramonaevebigwood

Boroughs: Brent and Harrow