Thom Shaw (performer) trained at Laban and at Bretton Hall. He works in dance, live art, cabaret and alternative drag, and his work has included projects with Precarious Dance, Avanti Display, Scottee, David Hoyle, Duckie and Timberlina. He has performed in a variety of contexts ranging from festivals, to fetish clubs, to London's Vauxhall Tavern. In the past year Thom has performed at Bestival, at the Royal Festival Hall's Dorothy Nights, in Duckie's Gay Shame 2009 at The Brixton Academy and in David Hoyle's Theatre of Therapy at the Chelsea Theatre. He has channelled Joan Crawford at the Royal Opera House and stormed the foyer of the Victoria and Albert Museum (in sequined hotpants, naturally) to protest homophobic reggae lyrics. His new durational piece Drag Democracy has been shown at Soho's Digitaria Gallery, The Place and Battersea Arts Centre. Thom is also a published writer on performance and is currently based at Laban where he is Co-Editor of Dance Theatre Journal and Managing Editor of Discourses in Dance. He is also a regular contributor to The Place's Resolution! Review. Thom has previously worked with Rita Marcalo on a number of projects including Instant Dissidence's White Out Conditions (2007-2008).
Lucy Barker (projections and graphic design) is an eclectic artist working in various capacities: as a fine artist, photographer, music festival curator, theatre designer, and filmmaker. In 2005 she completed a BA (Hons) in Arts and Design for which she received a first class degree. Her art work has been exhibited at various festivals/galleries throughout the country, and she has received a number of artistic commissions from companies such as Motion Manual, Instant Dissidence, Leeds City Council, ITV and Rochelle. Every year she organises and curates the Moor Music Festival near Ilkley, and regularly works with the Leeds International Film Festival. She has worked with Instant Dissidence since 2006.
James Harrison (scenography) began his training in lighting and sound at Sheffield University working in live music events. In 1999 he graduated in Theatre Design at Bretton Hall College. He has designed lighting for all Third Angel theatre performances since 1999, all Vincent Dance Theatre productions since 2001, Stumble Circus (An Evening of Instability), Dead Earnest (Stalingrad, inc.set design), Point Blank (Roses & Morphine, inc. set design). As a Production/Technical Manager, he has toured nationally and internationally with theatre and dance companies Third Angel, Blast Theory, Scarlet Theatre, Vincent Dance Theatre, Wendy Houston and Forced Entertainment. James is an artistic associate of Third Angel and technical consultant to Danceworks UK. James is currently Technical Manager at Leeds Metropolitan University, Gallery & Studio Theatre.
Matt Sykes-Hooban (scenography and technical management) has been in West Yorkshire and working in professional theatre as a scenic designer and technician for 10 years. He has worked on various productions from new writing, plays, opera and puppetry, and toured nationally and internationally with companies including Fast and Dirty. SK Entertainments, Dancing Shadow Theatre Company, Faulty Optic and The Bridge Theatre. Alongside his work for Instant Dissidence Matt also works with the new Performance Art department at Leeds Met University.
Ryan Ormonde (poetry installation) is a writer and performer simultaneously making his name on the experimental poetry and alternative cabaret circuits. With a background in writing and acting for the stage, he has since devised and presented work with the poetry collective press free press for the Earl's Court Community Festival, BAC Scratch, Openned at the Foundry, Museum of The People at Utrophia, and events hosted by Scenery Chewer, Akilah and The Dig. His devised live art/cabaret work, mostly in collaboration with Thom Shaw, has been presented at the Elephant & Castle Coronet (Gay Shame), Brixton Academy (Gay Shame) and Bestival (Club DaDa) in association with Duckie, The Royal Opera House (B.A.D Ball) in association with Bistrotheque, and an intervention in the V&A Museum (Making a Scene). He has written two comedy sketches that were broadcast on BBC Radio 4 (Bearded Ladies) and recently presented a poetic episode of an academic chat show on Resonance FM (The Thread). In November 2009, Ryan collaborated with playwright Sarah Solemani, creating poetic texts for 'Bifurcated' as part of Nabokov's present:tense at The Southwark Playhouse. Ryan works in an independent cinema and is completing his MA in Poetic Practice at Royal Holloway.
Ashie Cherry (company manager) trained at York St. John University receiving a first class BA in Performance: Dance. In her 20 years of performing she has worked with a range of companies and choreographers ranging from the English Youth Ballet to Jonathan Poole. After teaching for the past 3 years she is now focusing on Dance Management and is thrilled to be joining Instant Dissidence for its 2009-2011 trilogy of works: Involuntary Dances, She's Lost Control and Sem Corpo. Ashlie also works as Assistant Administrator for the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, where she looks after the touring company Verve.
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