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:
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.
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.
On 17 November 2022, BOY’S KHAYA will be showcased as part of the AFRIKA EYE Festival alongside a choreographic forum featuring Bawren Tavaziva and visiting choreographers Kennedy Mutanga and Deborah Badoo. Tavaziva will also lead a dance workshop, where he sets out to inspire and ignite interest in contemporary African dance.
AFRIKA EYE is back for its 16th edition of the festival with a program jam-packed with films, dance, music, food, panel discussions, and a stunning photography exhibition. The festival takes place in Bristol from the 7 to 17 November 2022.For more information and tickets, visit
For more information about the festival, visit the Afrika Eye website.
We’re delighted to be collaborating with our colleagues at bbodance to lead an Open Class on Thursday 15 September from 6pm to 7.30pm.
Anyone aged 14 years + is welcome to attend this free general-level ability class and explore Bawren Tavaziva’s unique style and technique, a beautiful and dynamic synthesis of contemporary, ballet and African dance, in an energetic, fun and supportive environment.
Wandsworth Arts Fringe (WAF) is an open access arts festival bringing together a lineup of cutting-edge theatre and comedy, exquisite music concerts, art exhibitions, workshops, experimental performance art, outdoor art extravaganzas, and everything in between. Presented by Wandsworth Council, events will take place across the borough of Wandsworth 10–26 June.
Tavaziva returns to WAF in collaboration with bbodance, the English National Ballet School, Alton Activity Centre, Ubuntu Museum and Roehampton R.O.C.K.S! to offer a series of activities designed to bring families together and get people moving.
All activities are inclusive and free, and everyone is welcome to come along and join in the fun!
bbodance Community Dance Day
Saturday 18 June 2022
11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
WAF Family Fun Day
Sunday 19 June 2022
12:00 – 2:00 PM
Alton Activity Centre Family Fun Day
Saturday 25 June 2022
12:00 – 6:30 PM