It’s hard to believe that a decade has passed since the beginning of Autin Dance Theatre. Throughout these remarkable years, we have been on an incredible journey, working with extraordinary performers, artists, schools, and communities. Our mission was always to inspire and empower change through dance and storytelling and we couldn’t be prouder of our achievements.
📷 Mark Anderson
A core initiative of ours has been the Man Made Youth Company, which has been an inspiration for young male participants aged 12-21 from Birmingham and the Black Country. Through high-quality dance training, choreography workshops, performance opportunities, digital arts, and films, we have nurtured the talent and potential of these young dancers, helping them find their voice and creativity.
In partnership with Fabric, ACE, and BDN; Brum Pro Class has been a non-profit initiative that provides a vibrant program of regular dance classes, events, and workshops for the growing professional dance community. We believe in creating an inclusive and nurturing space for dancers to learn, grow, and shine.
📷 Julia Koltowska
During the years we grew our education programme from ‘A Positive Life’ workshops including workshops on sex education and consent, a great amount of ‘Make and Move’ workshop that peaked during the pandemic, helping people deal with isolation, as well as long term partnerships with Princethorpe School, Raddlebarn and universities such as The Arden Manchester, LIPA and DMU.
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📷 Nucis Designs
As we reflect on our journey, we are grateful for the incredible growth and transformation that has shaped Autin Dance Theatre into what it is today. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and celebrate the significant milestones that have defined our company’s evolution.
2023
🟡In 2023, we proudly introduced our newest piece, Parade the Giant Wheel. This moving performance was inspired by the beauty, power, and impact of people coming together from different walks of life. Featuring a 12-foot tall Giant Wheel driven by five street artists and accompanied by live music, the performance showcased our unique blend of contemporary storytelling, striking physicality, and innovative large designs, captivating audiences and communities along a carefully choreographed procession.
We have also celebrated a special performance of The Flock a culmination of an inclusive dance, movement & puppetry project with 3 Birmingham primary schools and over 130 children, young people, teachers and assistants from Bellfield Infant School, Bellfield Junior School & Longwill School For Deaf Children. The children have been working with our workshop leaders and dance artists since the beginning of the year on themes of home, migration and community, and it finished with a staged performance and a documentary film.
📷 Nucis Designs
📷 Nucis Designs
2022
🟡2022 begun with Sally Pomme Clayton playing on her conch. Our acclaimed outdoor physical theater performance, “Out of the Deep Blue,” came to life in a new form as ‘Violet and the Sea Giant’, our first self-published book. Illustrated by the talented Richy K. Chandler and produced by Adam Towndrow, this beautiful book allowed us to extend the magic of our live performances.
Street Games became a vibrant addition to our outdoor menu, starting as a pre-party for the Commonwealth Games’ opening ceremony. This inclusive and accessible fun day of street games, live music, and dance with BSL Performance and Interpretation brought joy and excitement to people from all walks of life.
Our Creative Director also worked with Giant Puppets on the Commonwealth Games Opening ceremonywhich was performed in front thousands of people in the audience as well as streamed.
📷 BBC Breakfast
📷 Nucis Designs
2021
📷 Lauren Tansley
🟡2021 was an interesting year, we decided to create Big Brum Boogie – flash mob, bringing the communities back together after all the seperation we experienced throughout the lockdowns (supported by Birmingham City council and Public Health England)
We also engaged with some lovely 50+ year old participants with our ‘Let’s get moving’ digital programme, which we wanted to create to bring people together and reduce loneliness in the context of lockdown restrictions.
2020
🟡In 2020 Eko was created by Mr Cleaver’s Monster and as we brought Eko, our 13-foot tall Sea Giant puppet, to life the ‘Out of the Deep Blue’ adventure begun. This outdoor physical theater performance enchanted family and festival audiences, as Eko encountered a courageous little girl named Violet on the shore. Additionally, our creative team engaged children and families with an online puppetry series, highlighting climate change’s impact using reusable household items and recycled materials.
As our Sea Giant story was in the making, we collaborated with a bunch of talented puppeteers making an online series for children and families, which included the making of puppets using reusable household items & recycled materials to highlight the impact of climate change and to get creative! An amazing introduction of anyones journey into puppeteering.
📷 Dunkan Walker
📷 AutinDT
Our Creative Director took over the stage again. Johnny’s solo piece Square One inspired by mental health and emotional wellbeing was bold and original solo performance combining digital media and dance theatre.
📷 Nucis Designs
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We join an amazing team behind ‘Mawimbi Shifting Frequencies’ which was a collaboration with Solene Weinachter as a part of East African culture exchange.
2019
🟡In 2019, we embarked on an exciting journey to create a new vision for our performance, ‘Positive Life’. This transformative theater experience was designed to be accessible, immersive, and interactive, led by six contemporary characters who brought dance, physical theater, spoken word, and BSL performance and interpretation to life. A Positive Life became not just a standalone performance; it was part of a comprehensive creative package. Collaborating with sex and relationships educator Gillian Leno, we aimed to address important issues while providing a safe and inclusive space for exploration and understanding. Our goal was to spark meaningful conversations and inspire positive change within our communities.
📷 Nucis Designs
2018
🟡2018 was a year of colorful and cheerful performances for Autin Dance Theatre, and we were thrilled to showcase two extraordinary shows that left a lasting impact on audiences.
Queer Words took center stage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with an all-LGBTQ+ cast of three exceptional performers. This multi-disciplinary performance was bold, provocative, and unapologetically celebratory of queer identity. Through storytelling, spoken word, dance, and physical theatre, “Queer Words” fearlessly explored toxic ideals and the crisis of masculinity. It was a powerful statement, igniting conversations about acceptance, diversity, and inclusivity.
📷 Nucis Designs
📷 Donata Kukyte
Our director, alongside the talented Laura Vanhulle, brought to life the beautiful show Dystopia. This jaw-dropping and thought-provoking performance delved into the human need for connection and belonging, juxtaposed against the modern anxieties rooted in fear and violence. The piece eloquently examined power balances in relationships, challenging audiences to reflect on the complexities of human interactions. With striking physicality and an exciting soundscape, Dystopia took audiences on an intense and emotional journey, ultimately leaving them with a message of hope and a profound call for unity and understanding in our shared humanity.
2017
🟡 In 2017, Autin Dance Theatre underwent a significant rebranding, unveiling a new logo and relaunched website. We were committed to creating more accessible programs and outreach efforts, bringing the joy of dance to diverse communities.
During Nov-Dec 2017 Creative Director Johnny Autin and visual artist Donata Kukytė travelled to Tanzania. We held a professional audition process both in Dar and in Arusha to select the dancers for the work, the musicians, and the setup of the live performance towards a showcase event. During both residencies, Johnny delivered a series of CPD workshops and career/professional development talks for the dancers (portfolio career, mentoring, feedback, etc.) and opened the morning company classes to all local professional dancers free of charge, as a way of delivering regular professional training, and also to the dancers that were not selected as part of the commissioned project.
📷 Donata Kukyte
2016
🟡 2016 marked the beginning of an exciting new adventure with A Positive Life. This powerful performance, coupled with creative workshops, inspired us to continuously evolve and develop this piece further. It became a testament to our dedication to using art as a force for positive change and empowerment.
📷 Donata Kukyte
🟡 During 2013-2015, we were fortunate to work with a talented group of individuals and embarked on an artistic journey that led to the creation of TAKSIM SQUARE. This piece of dance theatre emerged as an artistic response to the popular protests in Turkey and the unfolding of the Arab Spring. Drawing on personal testimonies and symbolic movement, the work took audiences on a moving and often brutal journey through hope and despair, painting an intense portrait of repression and resistance. This collaboration paved the way for further remarkable works like Out of Touch, Chimera, and Pathos.
📷 Donata Kukyte
📷 Nucis Designs
🌟 Here’s to the Future: A Journey Together 🌟
Together, we will continue to push boundaries, create thought-provoking art, and use our platform to make a positive impact in the world.
Thank you for being a part of our journey, and we look forward to sharing many more extraordinary moments with you.
