I am crowdfunding in the efforts to pay the amazing professional team of artist's involved in helping bring my ideas and work to life. They all deserve to be paid for their extraordinary talent, time and effort that has gone into this production. The money will go towards paying for the hours of rehearsal, costumes and a performance fee for their involvement. I hope to raise a fraction of the money they deserve.
REGENERATE is an evening of dance, theatre and music performed at The Bunker Theatre, London Bridge.
The shows overview:
What choices do we have when the seemingly unattainable is all we have left? The only option is new growth: regeneration.
ReGenerate evolved from the process of bringing new vigor and life to an area after extreme loss. A stellar cast of performers push their limits in the hopes of consoling, conquering, and creating in a damaged world.
We aim to bring forth an evening of dance, theatre and music in collaboration with playwrights Charlie Layburn and Shane David-Joseph alongside composers Stelios Antoniou and Lara Agar.
ReGenerate will be presented alongside a reimagined version of MPT’s previous sell-out performance Aya(Out Of Options), as well as new work by Nah Jieying.
Meet the team:
About me:
I am Anthony Matsena co-producer and director of this project. I am Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer of Matsena Performance Theatre. Established in 2017, the company creates work that draws upon highly physical movement, theatre work and text, as well as my background in African dance and hip-hop (krumping, popping, locking, breaking). On the 4th August 2017 the company premiered their first full evening of work Out Of Options (2017) at The Bunker Theatre, London. The companies work has also been shown at Sadler’s Wells Lilain Bayliss. I am also working with Sadler's Wells as a Young Associate Artist for the next two years, being commissioned for work in the Lilian Bayliss this October. I graduated from London Contemporary Dance School in 2018.
During my time in Wales Anthony i was a company member with National Youth Dance
Wales, creating and touring works by Kerry Nicholls, Odette Hughes(Studio Wayne Mcgregor), Theo Clinkard, and Eleesha Drennan. Anthony performed Kerry Nicholls'
aM (2015) with the NYDW at Sadler’s Wells for ‘National Youth Dance Company & Guests
— Apex Rising’. While training at LCDS, i have also performed works by Ohad Naharin, Hofesh Shechter, Richard Alston, as well as performing professionally in works by Joseph Toonga for Just Us Dance Theatre.
Writers:
Charlie Layburn
Charlie Layburn is the Co-artistic director of Three Tone Theatre Company. He is beginning his final year studying acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre school and his other passions include writing poetry and the torment of supporting West Ham United Football Club. Before drama school, Charlie played Crooked Finger Jack in The Beggar’s Opera directed by Eve Shapiro at the Vanbrugh Theatre
Amukelani Matsena (Kel)
Born in Bulawayo and brought up Swansea(Wales),Kel Matsena is Co-Artistic Director of Matsena Performance Theatre and Three Tone Theatre Company.. With as a strong interest in both theatre and dance, Amukelani pushes the companies creations to be more than just dance. Currently, at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Amukelani is furthering his interests in movement and acting and how these two can superimpose each other in creation and performance. Having a background in an array of forms of dance from folk and traditional dances all the way to ballet, he has been able to develop a unique way of moving. He has worked with National Youth Dance Wales for 3 years with choreographers like Kerry Nicholls, Neil-Fleming Brown and Eleesha Drennan. Kel's main aim is to create work where dance and theatre can be blended smoothly to present good storytelling.
Shane David-Joseph
Co-artistic director of Three Tone Theatre Company. Currently studying Acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Before attending drama school Shane featured in The Railway Children at London King's Cross Theatre. Shane was also part of the musical theatre company Sharpe Academy of Theatre Arts, where he now teaches drama.
Associate Choreographer
JieYing Nah
Jieying Nah was born in Singapore in 1995. Prior to coming to London, Jieying started training as an artistic gymnast and a Chinese dancer. She moved on to Contemporary Dance and Ballet training for 6 years in School of the Arts, Singapore. Graduating with an International Baccalaureate Diploma, she moved on to becoming a dancer with T.H.E Second Company from 2011 to 2015. The is currently also a recipient of the National Arts Council Scholarship (Undergraduate) 2016. Jieying recently graduated from London Contemporary Dance School with BA(Hons) in Contemporary Dance.
Performers
George Frampton
George Frampton 21 from Cambridgeshire has been working with Matsena Performance Theatre for the past 2 years performing works such as “AYEA” and “SIMUKA” which was performed for Sadler's Wells Young Associates. She has also performed in “OUT OF OPTIONS” by the company which was performed here at the Bunker Theatre last year. George has just graduated from London Contemporary Dance School and is currently working with Avant Garde Dance as well as working with Anthony. She is looking forward to performing with MPT again and diving head first into her first year as a freelance dancer.
Cher Nicolette Ho
From Singapore, Cher moved to London for dance training at Lewisham college and have since graduated from London Contemporary Dance School. Cher has worked alongside collectives such as Just Us Dance Theatre, Feet off the Ground, Greenwich Dance, The Roundhouse for Circusfest and was part of The Grain with Avant Garde Dance. She also takes great interest in art, music, teaching and film for performance. Besides 'Regenerate' this year, she has worked closely with the company on 'Freyja' and 'Out of options' in 2017 and has also become a part of Anthony Matsena's Sadlers' Wells Young Associates show in October 2018.
Harri Claxton
First joined 2faced youth group company in 2013 where he performed in ‘The calling’. Previously trained on the foundation course at Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Currently going into his third year at London Contemporary Dance School. Received the Duke of York scholarship award for excellence. Currently apart of Matsena performance theatre group and has performed in Sadlers Wells commissioned piece Simuka in 2017.
Angelina Gorgaeva
Angelina Gorgaeva is from Russia, she trained at Sozvezdie School of The Arts(2009-2015). Worked in contemporary dance company in St. Petersburg (2016-2017). She began her training at London Contemporary dance School in 2017.
Bonni Bogya
Hungary/Romania. Started training in Ars Nova Team from 2000-2007
2008-2015 Abigel School of Art Debrecen. Attitude Táncegyüttes
2015-2016 training in the USA
2016-2017 Budapest Dance Theatre Elit
and in 2017 began training at London Contemporary Dance School.
James Gallego Olivo
James comes from a hip hop influenced background, into the contemporary dance world, combining many inspirations from both worlds, to form his unique improvisation/freestyle skills.
Composers
Lara Agar
Lara Agar is a composer and violinist from Suffolk, who’s work stems from both solo and collaborative practice including dance, theatre and visual arts. Recent collaborations include EXAUDI, the London Contemporary Dance School, National Youth String Orchestra, No Door Theatre Company and an ongoing project with visual artist Phoebe Pryor, on a project surrounding themes of listening, home, and reconnecting to their Suffolk roots. Lara is currently studying an MA in Composition with Paul Newland at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she has a scholarship, generously supported by the Leverhulme Trust.
Stelios Antoniou
Stelios is a versatile Producer, Drummer and Composer from Cyprus based in London. He spends loads of time experimenting with electronics, field recordings and ways to create interactivity between the listener and the piece of music.
Co-Producer
Will Bridgland, 20 years old, is from the United Kingdom. He trained on at Place CAT scheme from 2010-2015, and graduated First Class Honours from London Contemporary Dance School in July 2018.
Will has worked as a producer for Matsena Performance Theatre since September 2017. He has performed with MPT in Anima Rose (2017), Our Own Roof (2018), and Simuka (2018).