2016 Take Me To Bed
Take Me To Bed is an installation. An invitation. To come closer, be curious, to struggle, surrender, to be with the dances of these particular bodies. A dance, disability and digital intimacy installation from Luke Pell and Jo Verrent created in collaboration with the dance artists and video artist Mark Morreau, explores the dis/comfort of audiences to othered bodies and their dances. Performed by Caroline Bowditch, Janice Parker, Luke Pell and Robert Softely Gale.
2015 CMe - creating new work in Sweden
Caroline will be collaborating with Melody Putu and the dialogue team at Skanes Dansteater from April until June 2015 on a new piece called CMe - Unexpected stories from unexpected bodies in unexpected places. CMe will be a series of site specific outdoor performances happening in and around Malmo on 24-28 June 2015.
2014 InArte
InArte - International Meetings of Inclusion through the Arts, is an initiative of Vo’Arte that gives continuity to the analysis of artistic processes focused on inclusive experiences. This year InArte Encounters integrate the European Cooperation Project Unlimited Access (2013-2015), of which Vo’Arte is co-organizer and which aims to develop a lab of inclusive dance entitled Unlimited Encounters, two masterclasses and a film showcase dedicated to the works of the guest artists, as well as the final presentation of the results of the Unlimited Encounters lab. Art is prolific, there is place for all people to assert themselves and intervene in contemporary creation. This relational process must be adapted to the capabilities of everybody and respect differences as an integral part.
At InArte Encounters of 2014, we propose to deepen the research in the areas of inclusion and innovation of artistic practices. This year, national and international choreographers and dancers are brought closer together and challenge themselves intensely to create new realities, unlimited.
At InArte Encounters of 2014, we propose to deepen the research in the areas of inclusion and innovation of artistic practices. This year, national and international choreographers and dancers are brought closer together and challenge themselves intensely to create new realities, unlimited.
2013 Internal Rupture
Commissioned as part of East London Dance's '25 Years and Counting' celebrations 'Internal Rupture is a collaboration between Caroline and 2 Candoco artists, Welly O'Brien and Kimberley Harvey. Based on the image ‘The Two Fridas’ which was painted by Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), possibly the world’s most famous disabled female artist, in 1939. The performers dance in a light the size of the canvas she used, worked with the concept of what it is to be loved and unloved and use the positions in the image as their place to start.
2013 Torque
Torque is an exciting new music & dance piece created by composer, Pippa Murphy and choreographer, Caroline Bowditch. They have worked with engineer Calum Cossar and designer, Brian Hartley and Paragon musicians exploring the relationships between music, dance and the science behind wind turbine technology. Torque is the force of the wind on the turbine blades that causes them to rotate. The resulting rotational energy is converted by electromagnetic induction into electrical energy i.e. electricity.
This process of energy conversion is mirrored in the creative journey made by musicians and dancers when first the wind of inspiration gives an impulse for the body to move and the heart to sing. The imagination tempers that impulse and converts its energy into dance or music performance available for an audience to charge their own ‘creative’ batteries.
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it just changes form - the law of conservation.
This process of energy conversion is mirrored in the creative journey made by musicians and dancers when first the wind of inspiration gives an impulse for the body to move and the heart to sing. The imagination tempers that impulse and converts its energy into dance or music performance available for an audience to charge their own ‘creative’ batteries.
Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it just changes form - the law of conservation.
2013 Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
From Feb - June 2013 I had the pleasure of sharing my choreographic skills and experience with 16 incredibly talented Contemporary Performance Practice students at RCS. Drawing on their endless talents, and combined with my artistic practice, we made a 90 minute performance piece called 'Red Line'. This new work included live music, original text, movement, film and many other things in between.
'Red Line' also provided the opportunity for some of the students to work members from the Talent Hub group to produce 4 short films, which were included in the performance.
'Red Line' also provided the opportunity for some of the students to work members from the Talent Hub group to produce 4 short films, which were included in the performance.
2012 Leaving Limbo Landing
Leaving Limbo Landing was an ambitious new outdoor production performed in air, in water and on land. It explored journey, placement, displacement, settling, arrivals and departures. A visually arresting and poetic exploration about why we choose to leave or stay.Twelve East Londoners’ stories about choosing to live in East London were brought to life by a powerful all female cast of dancers and aerialists, with amazing costumes by Abby Grewcock, a newly commissioned soundtrack by Christopher Benstead, and a large set featuring a giant water wall.
The FATHoM Project
An experimental artists' collective delivering an original fusion of movement, theatre, improvisation, film and music.
Slight, choreographed by Adam Benjamin, dances it’s way through humour, poetry, light and the occasional waltz into a realm of small hurts, rejections and failings, the solitude of the unloved and that careful enquiry needed of the inept that leads, just maybe, to love.
Slight, choreographed by Adam Benjamin, dances it’s way through humour, poetry, light and the occasional waltz into a realm of small hurts, rejections and failings, the solitude of the unloved and that careful enquiry needed of the inept that leads, just maybe, to love.
2008 - 2012 Scottish Dance Theatre
From 2008-2012 Caroline held the role as Scottish Dance Theatre's Dance Agent for Change.
The project was initiated by former Artistic Director Janet Smith who was interested in breaking down barriers, extending borders in the dance world and exploring new possibilities, creatively, artistically and for the good of culture in Scotland.
This ground breaking role, funded by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, aimed to increase the number of disabled people involved in dance in Scotland, including those entering training or the dance profession. During her 4 years, Caroline has interacted with over 25,000 people in workshops, talks and performances not only in Scotland but in the rest of the UK and beyond.
Works performed while with Scottish Dance Theatre
Angels of Incidence - This extraordinary work created for SDT by Adam Benjamin sees the company expand to include 4 international dancers with disability. Angels of Incidence opens up to a world of unheralded encounters, where a chance meeting can change the direction of our lives- from the ordinary into the impossible, the mundane into the majestic. Watch a clip here.
The Long and The Short of It - A short duo, The Long and the Short of It, choreographed by Tom Pritchard and Caroline. The work was appreciated and applauded by audiences because of its ideas and quality, whilst introducing inclusive work and provoking and offering food for thought. Watch a clip here.
NQR - NQR premiered in February 2010 and is an irreverent inquiry into the idea of ‘normality’. It examines the irrepressible eccentricities that defy attempts to fit into the mould. NQR is a chance to look at and think differently about difference. This work is a three way collaboration co-directed by Janet Smith, Marc Brew and Caroline. Watch a clip here.
‘NQR brings together disabled and able-bodied dancers so seamlessly it looks like the most natural combination in the world. That said, the work also glories in the fact that all 11 dancers on stage – and by extension all of us – are different. SDT proves again what a cosmopolitan and thought-provoking company it is” Kelly Apter, The Scotsman
Leftovers - Leftovers is an eclectic mix of discarded dances carefully gathered from the studio floor. This 10 minute piece was created and performed by Marc Brew and Caroline. It has been performed at various platform events including Under Construction, Are ya dancin’? performance events and Independance’s platform evening. Watch a clip here.
The project was initiated by former Artistic Director Janet Smith who was interested in breaking down barriers, extending borders in the dance world and exploring new possibilities, creatively, artistically and for the good of culture in Scotland.
This ground breaking role, funded by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, aimed to increase the number of disabled people involved in dance in Scotland, including those entering training or the dance profession. During her 4 years, Caroline has interacted with over 25,000 people in workshops, talks and performances not only in Scotland but in the rest of the UK and beyond.
Works performed while with Scottish Dance Theatre
Angels of Incidence - This extraordinary work created for SDT by Adam Benjamin sees the company expand to include 4 international dancers with disability. Angels of Incidence opens up to a world of unheralded encounters, where a chance meeting can change the direction of our lives- from the ordinary into the impossible, the mundane into the majestic. Watch a clip here.
The Long and The Short of It - A short duo, The Long and the Short of It, choreographed by Tom Pritchard and Caroline. The work was appreciated and applauded by audiences because of its ideas and quality, whilst introducing inclusive work and provoking and offering food for thought. Watch a clip here.
NQR - NQR premiered in February 2010 and is an irreverent inquiry into the idea of ‘normality’. It examines the irrepressible eccentricities that defy attempts to fit into the mould. NQR is a chance to look at and think differently about difference. This work is a three way collaboration co-directed by Janet Smith, Marc Brew and Caroline. Watch a clip here.
‘NQR brings together disabled and able-bodied dancers so seamlessly it looks like the most natural combination in the world. That said, the work also glories in the fact that all 11 dancers on stage – and by extension all of us – are different. SDT proves again what a cosmopolitan and thought-provoking company it is” Kelly Apter, The Scotsman
Leftovers - Leftovers is an eclectic mix of discarded dances carefully gathered from the studio floor. This 10 minute piece was created and performed by Marc Brew and Caroline. It has been performed at various platform events including Under Construction, Are ya dancin’? performance events and Independance’s platform evening. Watch a clip here.
2008 Proband
Proband provided me with an opportunity to bring together my personal experience of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, my professional experience as a genetic counsellor and genetics educator, and my artistic practice as a performer/choreographer, in order to create a challenging and informative work exploring issues of disability and genetics for a broad audience. Despite the wealth of sci-art work in different disciplines, it is very rare for the work to be developed by someone who themselves experiences a genetic condition.
girl jonah
girl jonah is a duet collaboration between two choreographers (one disabled, one non-disabled) currently working together on dance performances that touch the borders of mainstream assumptions about implicit and explicit images of 'the contemporary dancer' and the different potentials for our bodies to be seen as knowing, skilful and passionate.
'Two dancers, two works; both seamless duets which in separate ways created quirky atmospheric worlds where difference and sameness in physical movement were explored. (girl jonah) imaginatively mined the concept of collaboration to create a unique and magical way of making dance that underlined its humanity and grace for all artists.'
Irish Times
'Two dancers, two works; both seamless duets which in separate ways created quirky atmospheric worlds where difference and sameness in physical movement were explored. (girl jonah) imaginatively mined the concept of collaboration to create a unique and magical way of making dance that underlined its humanity and grace for all artists.'
Irish Times