2024 marks the 20th anniversary of Tavaziva Dance, founded by artistic director Bawren Tavaziva in 2004 after working as a dancer for companies in Zimbabwe and in the UK.

To mark this anniversary, Bawren plans to return to the stage after many years with a solo performance reflecting on his arrival in the UK and his subsequent creative journey. Profound in meaning and elegiac in tone, Bawren’s new piece, Natural Born Suit, will be the work of a unique and mature artist working at the height of his powers.

As part of his choreographic and spoken word research and development for this new piece, Bawren will present an early excerpt from Natural Born Suit as a work in progress in London, Milton Keynes, Gateshead, and Norway, and invite audience feedback as a welcome contribution to his creative process, prior to embarking on a major tour with the full piece in 2025/2026.

 

Artistic Director Bawren Tavaziva will be in residence at the renowned In2It International Dance Festival in Kristiansund, Norway from 24-29 September 2024.

During his residency, Bawren will share ‘work in progress’ on a new Solo piece which he is developing for performance in 2025, working title Natural Born Suit, which will be a reflection on his arrival in the UK from Zimbabwe and his subsequent creative journey.

Bawren will share the piece and invite feedback from the Festival audience of fellow dancers, choreographers and other artists as part of his choreographic and spoken word research and development for the new Solo.

After a summer hiatus, we are looking forward to being back in the studio for Tavaziva Company Class!
Dancers, join us to practice Bawren Tavaziva’s unique technique, a dynamic synthesis of contemporary, ballet and African dance. Be ready for a highly energetic and physically challenging class involving technique, pair and creative work. 

Venue: Espinosa Studio, bbodance, Ensign House, Battersea Reach, Juniper Drive, SW18 1TA
Dates: Starting Thu 19 Sep 2024
Time: 11:00 – 13:00h, studio open from 10:30h
Price: £8 per class
Click here for more details and to book

Check out the Museum of Colour’s new digital exhibition, A Very British Rhythm featuring Bawren Tavaziva amongst other extraordinary dance artists of colour who have significantly influenced the UK dance world over the past 250 years. All shots were captured beautifully by Zimbabwean photographer, Hopeful Sandati.

 

We are delighted to welcome Sam Mataure as a new Patron for Tavaziva alongside Peter Kyle CBE. Sam will work to represent and strengthen the Company’s partnerships and connections in Africa. 

Sam Mataure is one of the top drummers on the African continent. An exponent of African music across all its genres, he has deep roots in Afro – jazz and African rhythms. He is a highly skilled musician whose career has seen him perform and record with legendary African musicians including Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Angelique Kidjo, Baaba Maal, Salif Keita, Habib Koite, Thomas Mapfumo, Oliver Mtukudzi, Vusi Mahlasela (South Africa).

Besides recording and performing, Sam has extensive experience in artist management (10 years with Oliver Mtukudzi), concert promotion, festival management and events management. He is currently running the Victoria Falls International Jazz Festival and has founded and managed other festivals including the Mutare Jazz Festival and Harare Jazz Festival.

We are delighted to welcome two new Trustees to the Tavaziva Board of Directors. Sinibaldo De Rosa (PhD, ResMA) and José Hendo bring their expertise to support the delivery and growth of the Company ambitions.

Sinibaldo De Rosa (PhD) is an ethnographer, dramaturg, and notator researching dance and ritual for people at the margins across multiple performance practices and contexts. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on the project Negotiating Abjection: Performance and Politics among Turkey’s Diasporas in Lombardy at Università Statale di Milano. In 2022, he earned an Advanced Diploma in Movement Notation (Laban) from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) after reconstructing extracts of Donald McKayle’s Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulders (1959) and completing the project Staging Kurdish Alevi Rituals: 4Kapı 40Makam also thanks to the support of an Ivor Guest Research Grant and a Study Grant from the British Institute in Ankara. His AHRC-funded doctoral research (University of Exeter and Cardiff University, 2020) on contemporary adaptations of the Alevi semahs for the stage was funded by the AHRC SWW DTP and by a Research Grant at the Orient Institut-Istanbul. Since 2021, he serves the Society for Dance Research as Events Secretary and works as Associate Lecturer at Roehampton University, Bird College and Rose Bruford College. Sinibaldo is also a member of the artist-led collective Interval and a massage therapist for his own company Ursa Major Movement and Massage.

José Hendo is a Ugandan-born British eco-sustainable designer who takes a fresh approach to fashion design, challenging the throwaway culture. She is the founder of the José Hendo brand, Bark To The Roots (B2TR) initiative and the R^3 Campaign. José promotes the use of organic eco-textiles and recycled materials to create unique – often avant-garde – garments and accessories.

José chooses to work extensively with barkcloth, considered to be the oldest cloth  made by man and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Material in 2005. As the tree regenerates another bark to be harvested every year for up to sixty years, this organic cloth is the best ambassador for sustainability.

In 2014 José launched her BARK TO THE ROOTS (B2TR) initiative and is now connected to the Bukomansimbi Organic Tree Farmers Association (BOTFA) in Uganda who has preserved this heritage of making cloth. The same year, propelled by the Rana Plaza building collapse, she also launched her R^3 (Reduce Reuse Recycle) Campaign utilising workshops, talks and exhibitions. José currently has her barkcloth garments in permanent exhibitions in museums and institutions across the world and her work has won multiple awards.

We warmly welcome Mary Kinsella to the Tavaziva team, who joins us as Administrative Manager supporting the efficient and effective running of the Company.

Mary is a dance specialist manager, teacher and artist with a professional history grounded in access, participation and community engagement. Mary received her Anthropology degree from Durham University before completing her dance training at Trinity Laban Conservatoire. Mary has worked across several programmes within Trinity Laban’s Public Engagement department including Summer School, Community Classes, Dance for Health, Youth Programme and the Centre for Advanced Training.

Mary currently teaches dance for children and young people in educational settings as well as adult community classes, alongside her own independent projects.

Mary’s UK performing highlights include Resolution Festival, Emerge Festival, Camberwell Arts Festival and a National Maritime Museum Residency. Mary’s international performing highlights include Kiel International Festival of Dance – Germany and Prakriti Excellence in Contemporary Dance Awards – India.

Tavaziva is looking for a highly organised person with a passion for dance/the performing arts and a flair for communication to be the linchpin of the organisation.

This is a demanding and vital role within a small company, responsible for its smooth running.  Working closely with a busy team to manage processes and timely operational activities at every level of the company, the Administrative Manager will ensure that the teams are facilitated collaboratively to continuously improve and effectively deliver the company programme of activity.

Main responsibilities of the post include:

• Supporting the Executive Director in the efficient and effective running of the company.
• Providing a solid infrastructure that enables the creation of first-class productions, performances, and a holistic engagement programme with communities.
• Working with the whole team to meet the Company’s aims and ambitions.

Closing date: 12:00pm on Monday 22 May 2023

To Apply: Please email your CV (not more than 2 pages) and a cover letter (not more than 1 page) to getintouch@tavazivastg.wpengine.com with a reference ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER     

Interview: Week commencing 19 June 2023

To view a detailed job specification and background information, click here.

 

The Trustees, Associates and Staff at Tavaziva would like to congratulate Peter Kyle on being awarded a Commander of the order of the British Empire for services to cultural heritage.

As one of the early supporters and leaders of dance and dancers in the UK, this is well deserving. Peter has been there for Bawren since his early career, and we are honoured to have Peter’s continued support as our Patron.

 

 

 

We are delighted to welcome two new Associate Members to the Tavaziva team. Dzifa Benson and Euton Daley MBE will serve as advisors and advocates supporting the Board and Staff to deliver the company’s ambitions for the next three years.

 

Dzifa Benson is a multi-disciplinary live artist who uses literature as her primary mode of expression. The intersections between science, art, the body and ritual and by the question of who or what is invisible animate Dzifa’s practice. She explores this through poetry, storytelling, theatre, performance, libretti, essay, journalism and a range of other media. She has performed her work internationally in many contexts such as: the Courtauld Institute of Art, City & Islington College, Time Out, The Guardian, Southbank Centre, Tate Britain, They Royal Opera House, ITV Studios, Kings Place, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Shakespeare & Co Bookshop in Paris and other venues across the UK and abroad.

More about Dzifa Benson

 

Euton Daley MBE has more than 30 years’ experience of community development through the arts working with artists, young people and communities. His experience and leadership has turned ideas into reality, from project management and partnership development, budget planning and raising funds, to opportunities and mentoring for young people and communities with little or no access to the arts. He was artistic director and chief executive of Pegasus Theatre, Oxford for 23 years, responsible for establishing it as a major youth arts organisation with an impressive portfolio and a growing national and international reputation. Euton has also played a key role in landmark cultural initiatives, including Dancin’ Oxford, Cowley Road Carnival, Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership and Mesh (Oxford’s international youth arts festival). In 2008, he was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to the arts and young people.

Euton founded Unlock the Chains Collective in 1986 to explore performance poetry (spoken word) as a theatrical form and to develop a dialogue with various social struggles at the time. Dormant for over 20 years, it reformed in 2013 to continue the journey and give Black artists performance platforms and to present and celebrate the Black experience whilst developing a Black Arts aesthetic.

More about Euton Daley MBE