Who we are

2. Who we are Who we are Braena is an interdisciplinary performance company; we create original performance work and facilitate inclusive-movement based workshops in the community alongside artists from different disciplines including music, visual art and film.

3. Who made it happen Brent Purity Knowledge Experience Passion Wisdom Perspective Drive Tracey Anna

4. Braena aims to...... • Improve • individual’s • health and • well being • Provide • opportunities • for individuals with • learning • disabilities.

5. Enhance the quality of life for Young people and adults who have learning disabilities in the North East. • To work as a collective that • is supported by highly • recognised artists with a common goal. • Empower individuals • and involve • them in the management • of the service. • To deliver a • culturally rich and • diverse high • quality artistic • performance • to audiences. Offer person centred creative activities. • Influence mainstream provision to incorporate dance • as a form of intervention for • health and wellness.

6. Who helps Braena be the company it is today

7. Tracey, Brent and Anna Project manager Susie Tate. Our families. Support from Arts Council England through The National Lottery

8. Collaboration with Musician Nick Williams. Support from Artists regionally and nationally. Support from Arts Centre Washington and Dance City. The communities we work in. The participants we work with.

9. What we have done Braena delivered two terms of inclusive creative movement based workshops in partnership with Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. We are company in residence at Arts Centre Washington

10. In 2011 Braena received a research and development grant form Arts Council England through the national lottery, to develop a methodology and framework for co-facilitation, to support and enable Brent to Co facilitate workshops and to support Braena’s practice. Image Slideshow http://vimeo.com/38131378 Braena's creative process to develop a methodology and framework for co facilitation captured in pictures. Captured in the images are workshop participants from Braena's Creative Summer residency at Dance City.

11. There are 3 – Research In September 2012 Braena were company in residence for 3 months at Arts Centre Washington and were supported by Arts Council England to work with internationally renowned performer, choreographer and genetics councillor Caroline Bowditch and musician Nick Williams to research and develop their first full length performance work ‘There are 3’. ‘There are 3’ is a trio about choice, experiences, relationships, journeys and stories; exploring love, dreams, hopes, fears and beingbrother and sister. As part of the research project for ‘There are 3’ we delivered creative music and movement workshops in the community and educational settings through out the region. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEXhPNSqOjg And shared our research through improvised performance at platforms in the North East. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ikDd430Umw

12. Our work • Braena’s practice is accessible, it gives participants a choice, and we work with authentic movement practices and contact improvisation. • We improvise the moment we cease to know what is going to happen, improvisation provides us with a means to excavating layers of experience, sensation, character, feelings that we normally rush through or suppress. • Through Braena we want to give people choices and opportunities for creative growth. • Through improvisation Braena explore the body and its surroundings in movement with solo warm ups, working in pairs and groups improvisations. • We work with improvisation as a source for original material, to develop a piece of work and within performance. • Braena support people who have a creative talent but cannot follow the conventional routes, through work placements, creative workshops, and apprenticeships.

13. ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel’ Author Maya Angelou

14. There Are 3 A trio about choice, experiences, relationships, journeys and stories; exploring love, dreams, hopes, fears and beingbrother and sister. • Braena’s first performance work. • Choreographed by Caroline Bowditch. • Working with musician Nick Williams and moving image artist LyndseyDuncanson. • Working with families who have a sibling who have Downs Syndrome. • Outreach workshops for people in the community and students in education and professionals.

15. Braena’s Future Vision • To develop high quality performance work to tour regionally, nationally and internationally. Working with professional renowned Choreographers. • To develop a series of inclusive creative movement based workshops based in Sunderland and the surrounding areas for professionals, people with learning disabilities in the community and students in education.

16. Movement play for young children with learning disabilities. • Develop partnerships with schools to develop inclusive groups across Sunderland and surrounding areas. • Work closely with specialist schools to create opportunities for school leavers who have a creative talent or an interest in dance. • Create opportunities for disabled and non-disabled artists to join Braena. • To develop a Braena youth company. • Create opportunities for work placements , apprentices with Braena. • Support disabled artists in developing new work and applying for funding.

17. Images by Oran Milstein, James Froment and Betty Brown