Between November 2024-November 2025, George was funded by Arts Council England’s Developing Your Creative Practice Fund. Read George’s reflections from his International Inclusive Research Project here….

The international inclusive dance research has been a once in a lifetime opportunity. It has significantly impacted on my practice and career trajectory through the new relationships I have developed and the time it has offered me to immerse myself in exploration and learning.

On reflection it has boosted my confidence in delivering diverse dance practices to artists with varying needs and experience levels. By analysing styles and pedagogical approaches such as the Limón Principles, I’ve gained valuable insights into refining modern dance techniques and expressing movement.

I’ve also developed a stronger appreciation for documenting performances, interviews, and practices through mixed media, including animation, audio, music, and video podcasts. This approach has highlighted how inclusive and accessible evaluation documents can be when moving beyond text-based formats.

The experience reinforced my role as a creative facilitator, improving my teaching practices for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities, professional dancers (e.g., Limón and Estonian National), and children in schools. Transforming movement sessions into animations has led to innovative installations, such as Light Up Lancaster. Collaborating with Helen Gould and Laisvie Ochoa further deepened my ability to support artists with unique needs.

As a result of this development period, I have gained a profound respect and understanding of my own choreographic and performance work, recognizing its contribution to advancing the productions and mentoring programs of both LPM Dance and Indepen-dance. This strengthened foundation enables me to expand my role within these initiatives, fostering growth and inclusivity.

I’m looking forward to the next phase. I intend to continue developing collaborative mixed-media work, focusing on innovative ways to integrate health and wellbeing expertise into my teaching practice and creative projects. This holistic approach will ensure my work remains accessible and impactful, reaching diverse audiences and participants.

Furthermore, I plan to deepen my exploration of dance pedagogies by collaborating with universities and the Critical Dance Pedagogy Network. This will involve consolidating ideas into a structured mentoring program or course, culminating in the publication of a teacher’s resource book to accompany the program. I am also committed to creating a podcast for dance educators, which will explore themes such as dance styles, movement, and the methodologies behind teaching, encouraging dialogue and reflection within the dance community.

In the studio, I will continue refining my mentoring practices while exploring successful approaches used by other dance mentoring programs. By integrating these insights into my work, I aim to provide meaningful support for dancers of all abilities and experiences.

Finally, this period has inspired me to enhance my leadership as a director and producer, ensuring that multidisciplinary projects align with both artistic vision and inclusivity. I am excited to further explore the value of play, schema, and creative intention in research and choreography, using these tools to enrich future projects and collaborations.