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“At once it struck me what quality went to form a Man of Achievement […] Negative Capability, that is, when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” (Keats) I love certainty. I love a map, a system, a routine, a spreadsheet, a rule, a plan, a gold star. My specialty is figuring out where I am now, where I want to get to and the steps to do it… I do not love uncertainty. This last year, however, has been characterised by uncertainty – and to my great surprise, Read More...
POWER - 3 July 2019
POWER: A new show in creation for touring in 2020! After almost twenty years touring the planet as a circus strong lady (mostly lifting acrobats and audiences over my head) this show asks: How can we feel powerful in an uncertain world & what is strength beyond just lifting heavy things? It will weave together autobiographical stories of being a circus strong lady with interview recordings from a broad range of people I met while touring around the UK. In interviews I asked people to tell me about a time they experienced feeling strong or powerful. Everyone I asked responded, Read More...
What’s Next? - 24 October 2018
What’s Next? DYCP project update #1 I am currently curled up on a sofa in Germany, with rain pelting the windows and nothing at all tempting me to go outside. I am in the final days of my variety show season here, which marks the end of 24 weeks in a row of touring my Strong Lady show. It began with a long and wonderful tour of outdoor arts festivals in the UK, Europe and America – then, from my last gig of the summer, I flew here to begin this 10 week variety season. The buckets of sunshine through Read More...
Desk-ercise - 12 March 2018
Take a 2 minute movement break at your desk… First of all, Happy New Year!! I hope that 2018 is full of strength and love and wonder. Going into this year, I am pondering the power of habits. It is the little things we do every day that make the big changes happen… and it seems that one of the most potent habits we can have in developing strength (inside and out) is to move our bodies more every day. For many of us, January means diving into a lot of time at the computer, so I put together a few Read More...
Training Tips - 11 October 2017
Training not Exercising. A few tips for developing strength… There have been many times after my shows that people (mostly kids, sometimes grown ups) have asked how they can get stronger… I started to write this for one such little girl, then thought that you might like to read it too. I hope you find something in here that makes you feel excited to move more and shine strong. This is not about achieving strength… it is about growing stronger. There is no destination you arrive to where you tick the box and are now officially strong, it’s just a Read More...
On the Road Again! - 7 June 2017
ON THE ROAD AGAIN! In 2007 when I loaded my suitcase labelled ‘strong lady’ onto a plane in Australia and set off on my first solo tour around the world, I had no idea that the journey would lead me to here: sat on a pretty terrace overlooking a stunning Swiss lake, waiting to travel back to my cosy home in the UK, at the end of a beautiful festival, at the start of the Strong Lady’s 10th summer tour! Stunning backdrop for my shows this weekend This first festival of the tour, with spectacular lake views as my backdrop, Read More...
Strong Independent Lady - 22 September 2016
Strong Independent Lady. When I ask people to describe what a Strong Lady is… almost everyone includes ‘independent’ in their vision. That and bulging biceps are the two most universally defining traits. The tricky thing is to marry being an independent strong lady with a love of connection and collaboration. On paper, I am absolutely an independent strong lady… I regularly travel the world solo (thanks to google translate and a sat nav). I am happily married, but independent enough that we tour separately most of the year. I am an independent artist who has toured internationally for almost 15 Read More...
Gym sessions for the mind - 15 July 2016
Gym sessions for the mind Developing mental strength is just as much a part of being a Strong Lady (or strong man) as developing your biceps. Just like you develop muscular strength with regular training sessions, it is our habits and daily practices that act as ‘gym sessions’ for growing our mental strength. When you have a lifting goal or a big trick that you are working towards, you train drills and repetitions of the technique without the full weight. This is to be sure that, in the moment of full strain, you have both the power you need and Read More...
Backstage Phrasebook (German & French) - 5 May 2015
The European summer is approaching, and with it a delightful array of festivals in different towns, in different countries… and in different languages. In my opinion, when you arrive to a place where they speak a different language to you, it is polite to be equipped with at least a handful of words and phrases in their language, even if you are pretty sure that most people will be able to talk with you in English. Below are a few phrases that you won’t find in regular phrasebooks, specifically useful for arriving to a festival and getting set up for Read More...
Showcase Festivals in Europe - 4 April 2015
There is a wonderful culture of outdoor arts and street theatre festivals in the UK and Europe and I have been lucky enough to be part of it, with various shows, for the last 13 years. Showcase festivals are one of the best ways to get your tours rolling. Many of the best festivals on this landscape will only book shows that the producers have seen live, with their own eyes, or at least heard about from someone they trust who has themselves seen your work. This is where it becomes exceptionally valuable to take part in showcase festivals. You Read More...
