The FATHoM Project

FATHoM members facilitate inclusive workshops that are accessible to all abilities and ages. Participants are encouraged to share, develop and communicate through their creative ideas in a supportive environment that aims to challenge and invigorate.

FATHoM can commit to long-term ongoing projects with groups, week long residencies or can offer half or full day taster sessions. The sessions would involve a minimum of two artists, often specialists in different disciplines who will explore creative play through a combination of dance, music, film, storytelling, theatre or voice.

The unique FATHoM approach means that the participants are the drivers behind the projects, thus creating pride and ownership in the work, as the facilitators weave their ideas together through improvised structures. Their strength is in their readiness to adapt and adjust their workshops to the dynamic energy of the group.

Touring education and community work

FATHoM draw upon the inclusive choreographic and improvisational principles explored during the process of making their touring work. FATHoM offers unique workshops based on the choreography of Slight by Adam Benjamin, and the process of inquiry into the question of 'what is home?' based on between here and there, by Molly Sturges. The residency will provide a means to excavate layers of Experience, Sensation, Character and Feelings: opening one's attention to the 'present' within performance.
FATHoM would like to share in movement, voice and music skills in spontaneity, finding fresh approaches to improvisations and immerse self in the quality of detail.

Some example of improvisational and choreographic tasks:

Slight

Slight dances its way with humour, poetry and the occasional waltz into a realm of small hurts, failings , the solitude of the unloved and that careful enquiry needed of the inept that leads to just may be love - Adam Benjamin FATHoM will share a range of inclusive improvisations that lead to choreographic tasks that they have found while working with Adam. FATHoM will also share parts of the choreography and will ask students to create their own short phrases based on the work. Duets based on when you may have felt slighted, work working together to create a gestural movement based pattern that can be repeated and manipulated. We will observe than discuss how well the dance holds together when is built into a motif.

Between here and there

FATHoM would like to connect with homeless communities in the areas that they will be touring. FATHoM have been developing a series of new workshops with Molly Sturges that can be shared with groups of people who are, or have, experienced being with out a home. By entering into conversations and then working through ideas, this group will engage with a mixture of electronic and acoustic soundscapes and musical compositions, improvisational movement and sound structures and conduction. FATHoM are extremely excited to share this innovative way of working. FATHoM can also work towards a performance collaboration between FATHoM and homeless service users.

'type' workshops

FATHoM always seek integration between their community and education work, and their performance. One of our current performance projects is 'type' which explores laughter and crying, a theme both universal and personal, engaging with the emotions of the audience and performers.

The theme of laughter and crying lends itself to community workshops as it is a theme we can all relate to We are happy to deliver 'type' workshops based on the themes of laughter and crying, capturing participants' stories and placing them within the type technology. These workshops can lead to performance opportunities for those participants, but are equally valid as stand alone sessions.

Teacher training

FATHoM has a wealth of experience of delivering workshops that are inclusive, and have put together training sessions aimed at movement teachers in schools and dance companies. The sessions are tailored to the needs of the teachers, and will help them to draw out the best in all of their participants regardless of their physical ability, and how to structure sessions with mixed abilities to ensure the full involvement of all participants.

Working with schools

Working with community groups

Education and Community History

2007-2009	Between Here and There is an on-going collaboration between FATHoM and a hostel for boys and men who are in transition. Many of them are working hard to start a fresh life after many challenges, and difficulties associated with drugs and street life. The piece is an intimate exploration of the essential human themes of belonging, rejection, resilience and our desire for love and connection. The work integrates movement, electronic and acoustic music/sound, film and text and consists of a series of modules that can be adapted to a wide range of venues. FATHoM delivered work shops in Newbiggin by the sea for children as part is a festival ' Pas de Deux - Newbiggin by the Sea June / July 2008 'pas de deux . Connecting to the installation of Sean Henry's Couple sculpture at Newbiggin Bay in Northumberland. FATHoM also made a site specific performance piece as part of this festival. Caroline and Tracey created a duet near couple land sculpture.
1st July 2006 Hartlepool Maritime Festival	The group from Warren Road Social Skills Centre performed their piece 'Live on the Ocean Wave' alongside FATHoM practitioners on the vehicle deck of Wingfield Paddle Steamer. Later on, a group of teenagers from Catcotes School performed their piece in front of the Community Stage on Maritime Avenue as part of the Tees Valley Dance and FATHoM showcase. This was a new piece which fused choreography and improvisation, devised by the group and FATHoM facilitators.
June 06	FATHoM returned to Kenton Lodge School this term after a successful ten week project earlier in the year. They continued to provide energetic and inclusive workshops with pupils who have behavioural and emotional issues.
June 05 - June 06	Three separate projects working with adults with learning disabilities, teenagers with learning difficulties and school children and under 5`s. Hartlepool Art Centre, Hartlepool. This project culminated in 2 performances at Hartlepol Maritime Festival in July.
Jan 06 - June 06	A range of projects, including work with Abbey Hill Special School and Preston Hall Museum in Stockton, which centers around getting people into museums and reponding to exhibitions. This project culminated in a photographic exhibition at Hartlepool Maritime Festival in July.
Sept 05 to May 06	Education projects in four Newcastle special schools: Sir Charles Parson, Kenton Lodge Behavioural Referral Unit, Thomas Bewick School and Hadrian School. FATHoM facilitators work with teenagers with behavioural problems, emotional difficulties and young people with autism. These projects were set up by Newcastle City Council sports co-ordinators to encourage young people to take part in physical activity during school time.
March 05	Dance and music residency at Collingwood Special School, Morpeth.
Feb 05	FATHoM Family Feast - a one day community event to celebrate FATHoM`s first birthday. Dance and music day.