Lauren Tucker
Image above by Dr Helen Newall,
Images in red dress by Phil Breen.
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Images from duet with Charlene Kaliyate below by Adam Holloway.
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“Her commitment to the art form is strong and sincere and she is constantly striving to develop and push her growth. I strongly believe that Lauren has the potential to become a leading figure for the dance sector in the North West and should continue her growth.” Gary Clarke UK
"I am a dance practitioner, digital and multi- disciplinary creative, dance advocate, experience curator, experience seeker, and cultural activist. My portfolio career enables me to carry out a variety of roles, whilst on a personal quest to empower people to live an active and creative life. I work in Ground Based and Aerial Performance, Choreography, Facilitation, Teaching and Learning, Youth Work, Yoga Teaching, Bungee Workout Instructor and Creative Producing, Project and Events management.
I set up Tuckshop Dance Theatre in 2018 and have been refining and diversifying our offer ever since by listening to the voices of young people. I work collaboratively with other people to create, to develop and to explore. We are in early stages of our development, but our ambitions reflect the vision of the young people we connect with. Tuckshop Dance Theatre develop innovative practice to amplify youth voice, stories of humanity and issues of global concern, with a commitment to excellence and diversity.
We work with people to shape cultural learning opportunities and meaningful experiences to transform people’s lives. We empower young people to celebrate their individuality, organise and express their creativity through shared lived experiences. We celebrate the power of young people and creative practice to lead change, ideas and actions that connect people, give back to their communities and ignite the spark for life long cultural learning. I am passionate about the development of dance in the Northwest and will continue to learn and to contribute to a Northwest Dance ecology with an ambitious shared vision for an exciting future, that Lauren wants to be a part of."
Tuckshop Dance Theatre
In 2021, Lauren has created a second phase of 'Neverland: Our Story in Pixels' with young people, funded through Arts Council England. This is an ongoing piece of work exploring digital identity, digital rights and making sense of the digital world with, by & for young people. Tuckshop Dance Theatre was invited to create a piece of work with University of Salford Students. Lauren Tucker and Natasha Gooden worked collaboratively with the students to create 'The Flood' - a response to the times we find ourselves in.
Lauren received Developing Your Creative Practice funding to explore the Notion of Freedom and what it means to young people. This project will take place in 2021-22. Lauren has been part of various artist development schemes including; the mentoring programme for Dance Consortia Northwest, the Talent Hub programme with MDI, and as a Class of 2020 artist with the Lowry (2019-2021). In 2020, Lauren joined the Open Online Theatre Cohort with IJAD Dance Company in September 2020 and co- created a piece of work 'Alexa, Take Me Back To Reality.' Lauren recently won a prize in Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival, a residency with Pyramid and Parr Hall for 2021 and a public art commission for Warrington Town Centre 'Alexa, Are We There Yet?'
Most recently Lauren made her first Arts Council England supported work ‘Neverland’ which toured to 9 youth friendly venues. Lauren was commissioned by Cheshire Dance, Hamilton Projects and Chester Zoo for Wild Worlds Festival in 2019.
Freelance Practice
Aerial Dance and Performance
In summer 2021, Lauren performed with Wired Aerial Theatre as a Stunt Performer in Rigoletto at Bregenz Festerpiele in Austria. With a passion for dance, fitness and flying, Lauren took part in an artist development project with Leftcoast and Wired Aerial Theatre in 2014. Lauren has continued training in Bungee Assisted Dance, and Vertical Wall. In 2019, Lauren worked with Wired Aerial Theatre to film a VICE documentary and became a Bungee Workout Instructor. Lauren now assists Michaela Anders in the teaching of Bungee Assisted Dance in The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and does some freelancing in administration and social media for the company. In 2022, Lauren has attended European Aerial Dance Festival, and Vertical Dance Intensive by Gravity and Levity to continue to engage with Aerial Harness Dance Forms.
Ground based performance
Kindred Folk as a Story Teller, Singer and Physical Performer in Cut From The Cloth, Fallen Angels Dance Theatre- Recovery Dancer, Stacey Atkinson Dance in a mass participatory performance project, with Gaia by Luke Gerram, with support from Culture Warrington and Arts Council England. Company Carpi (Mirror of Love and When You Light a Candle, You Also Cast a Shadow- supported by DCNW, Lancaster Arts and Culture. Works by James Wilton, Alesandra Seutin, Antonia Grove, Gary Clarke (solo with Ludus Dance for Light Up Lancaster, Senses at Dance Base, and Take It To The Hub, MDI) Balbir Singh (RandD), Warrington), Kate Jackson- Witness, Heartstone Dance, Lisi Perry (Moving Dance Forward, and Equilibrium- supported by MDI), Le Petit Mort, Hannah Ballard- Sole Rebel, Charlene Kaliyate, Movema, Ithalia Forel (Afroplay), Joseph Raey Reid, Helen McArron, dt.Ellipsis, taciturn dance Company, in collaboration with Sam Wiehl, Angie Walton, Bernard Pierre Louis, Tilt Dance and Louise Gibbons. Lauren has performed with Corjua Jones for a music video, and Stealing Sheep at Manchester International Festival. Tv work with Real Housewives of Cheshire.
Dance Development
In 2015-2019 Lauren worked as Dance Development Artist for Cheshire West and Chester at Cheshire Dance gaining a broad range of experience in dance development, project development, management, producing and creative community focussed delivery. Lauren has always been passionate about The Northwest Dance Sector, and developing opportunities for artists in the region. In 2021, Lauren worked with Fallen Angels Dance Theatre as an Outreach Development Consultant.
In 2022, Lauren, has taken different roles supporting Emily O'Shea - Kindred Folk as an engagement support worker in the devising process of Lost.
In 2021, Lauren began working with Jack Evans supporting his entrepeneurial skills development and brokering new relationships between organisations including Open Online Theatre, MDI, and We Are Unlimited.
Dance Facilitation
As a facilitator, Lauren has worked with a wide range of groups of people with different motivations to dance including Fallen Angels Dance Theatre, Walk The Plank/ Company Chameleon Youth, Cheshire Dance, Action Transport Theatre, Community Dance Groups that engage with MDI, Cheshire Dance and Movema and Collisions Dance (mass participation project- The Very Big Catwalk (GuinnessWorld Record) and a range of private dance schools including Centre Point, Hoylake School of Dance, Danza and Velocity.
Young People
Lauren has a wide range of experience working with young people, in the UK and internationally. Most recently Tuckshop Dance Theatre worked with Action Transport Theatre to develop digital engagement, and family dance provision at their home, Whitby Park. Lauren has delivered dance and creative arts experiences at Camp Wing in Boston (2008-2009) and Open Windows Foundation, Guatemala (2015) and is always seeking international opportunities. In the Northwest Lauren has worked for The Lowry as a Dance Artist for CAT and outreach projects. She has choreographed pieces of work with Homegrown Youth Dance Company, Centre Pointe- The Pointe Youth Dance Company and Dope Male Performance Company. Lauren worked in FE as a part time lecturer from 2011-2015 and made several pieces of work with young people. Lauren has a wealth of experience working in primary, secondary, further and higher education and alternative education settings. Lauren was a CASE fellow with Curious Minds and fully supports the Cultural education Challenge. Lauren is a member of the Cheshire West and Chester LCEP, Wirral LCEP and engages with LCEPs in the Northwest regularly through her work.
Choreography
As a post graduate, Lauren made work with Lizzy Ryder as a residence artist through MDI. Her solo work ‘Someone Worth Imitating’ mentored by Gary Clarke, was selected by MDI Northern Dancers programme. It was performed at Dance City, Yorkshire Dance, Kazimier Liverpool, Turn at Contact Theatre, UCLAN Dance, and Now Dance Platform, Cheshire Dance)
Marketing and Administration Support
Lauren has also carried marketing and communications for Wonder Adventures and Wired Aerial Theatre.
Education and Training
In education and training, Lauren attended Hilbre High School, Liverpool Community College and Liverpool John Moores University. She continued her training through both cohorts of 12 Degrees North Dance Company (funded by Arts Council England), and completed a Diploma To Teach In The Lifelong Learning Sector at Liverpool Hope University. She is currently on The Create Place programme with Staffordshire University, and is studying her MA at University of Salford.
Lauren is a PADI certified Advanced Open Water Scuba Diver.
200 hr Yoga Qualification & Level 3 Youth Work Qualification.
Relevant CPD:
Emergency First Aid at Work
DBS
Trauma Informed Approaches to Youth Work
ACES and Trauma Informed Practice for Sports Organisations
Inclusive Practice
Safeguarding in Dance: Cheshire Dance
Digital Safeguarding in the online world: YouthFed
SMSC qual, Young Citizen
Measuring Impact, Curious Minds & many others
Suicide Prevention
Intergenerational Training with Curious Minds
Images below, photographer: Phil Breen
For Tour Bookings/ Partnership Development
Email: tuckshopdancetheatre@gmail.com
For Learning, Participation and Engagement Enquiries
Email: creative.learning.tuckshop@gmail.com
"Over many years Lauren has been part of many of my projects and performance pieces. She is one of the first dance artists that I approach when I am creating, choreographing and directing as I know she will be 100% committed on all levels, she applys focus and offers creativity, then delivers strong, thoughtful and athletic dancing.
Lauren works in the studio with ease and responds in both a collective and collaborative manner and I wouldn't hesitate to use her in range of performance situations that my works requires"
Lisi Perry
"I started dancing at a young age and it played a huge part in giving me a voice, shaping my values as an active citizen and to make sense of the world around me. Dance allows me to continue to explore my interests, who I am and what I want to express, and how I want to share it with the world. I value conversation, collaboration and collective impact."
Lauren Tucker
Image above by Craig Sanders
Images below by James Guy Eccleston
Lauren Tucker
Image above by Craig Sanders
Images below by James Guy Eccleston
If you are interested in working with Lauren, get in touch.
