Call out for people to take part in a co-creative dance and poetry project on Dartmoor!

Be part of a co-creative project connecting with nature and the vibrant history and ecology of Challacombe Farm, Dartmoor through dance, poetry and film. If you are aged 18+ and would like to take part in workshops and be part of making filmed poetry and dance in the landscape we would love to hear from you! 

Take part as a writer, dancer, or both. Challacombe Chronicled is a unique project designed to celebrate local expression and you will be able to shape your experience within the project to suit your needs, energy and interests.

The project is free to take part in and is suitable for anyone interested in writing or dance or both. It is unique process, which is suitable for beginners or more experienced dancers or writers.  To be in the films, you must be available for filming on Dartmoor during the day over the weekend 24th-25th May 2025. You can choose which workshop date(s) you can take part in - and we would be delighted if you can take part in multiple workshops!

How To Take Part 

To register please fill in this form before Friday 25th April, 6pm. Knowing who to expect really helps us to prepare but should you see this call out too late for our deadlines, it will still be possible for you to take part (just submit your form or email Clare and await confirmation). 

To be a part of Challacombe Chronicled, you must attend at least one workshop. To be a part of the film series, you must attend at least one filming day. Should you wish to share your poetry or choreography live, you must attend one of our performances. 

If you need these details or to register in a different format please let us know by emailing Clare Parker, Producer / Richard Chappell Dance at clare@richardchappelldance.co.uk before Wednesday 23rd April 2025. If you see this call out after this date, please reach out to us anyway and we will ensure an accessible sign up process for you. 

We will contact you by Monday 28th April to confirm everything and give you full details of venues and timings. 

About the Project

Choreographer Richard Chappell and poet Saili Katebe invite you to explore themes of care, renewal and resistance, through poetry, dance and film; weaving together the ecological and cultural significance of Challacombe’s landscapes. We will work with experienced dance filmmaker Dan Martin, a regular collaborator with Richard Chappell Dance. Richard, Saili and Dan are working towards the creation of a series of short films which will feature a combination of professional and community poetry and dance for online screenings as well as at a number of live presentation events.

Richard Chappell Dance has a long history of creating work with a diverse range of local people in Devon, celebrating local expression in outdoor landscapes. Filmmaker Daniel Martin has captured many of them, and you can see examples of our work below: 

Our Roads Home
Vast Rocks Revisited
Present With Me

Saili Katebe is one of the South West’s leading poets and spoken word artists. You can see recent examples of his work here: 

She Made It Back
Portrait as a Poet as Protest

About the workshops 

Choreographer and Artistic Director, Richard Chappell and poet Saili Katebe will lead a series of free co-creation workshops for dancers, writers and artists at a range of locations during April-May 2025.

Exploring Richard and Saili’s unique approach to combining poetry and contemporary dance through interdisciplinary collaboration, Richard will lead a physical warm up for those wanting to dance, followed by creative tasks with Saili. Final creation processes in each workshop will focus on refinement of choreography, writing and performance. There will then be space for creating text, movement and story as part of the co-creation of the films. 

Suitable for local people aged 18+, who have an interest in dance, writing and interdisciplinary collaboration. Should you have any queries about this, please email clare@richardchappelldance.co.uk.

Should you wish to take part in the workshops only, and not the film processes, please let us know when signing up. Should you wish for any of your writing or choreography to not feature in our films, please do let us know within the workshop sessions or via email. 

Workshop Schedule 

Please note you must take part in at least one workshop.

Tuesday 29th April; 11.30am - 1.45pm; Poetry Workshop, Exeter Phoenix
Tuesday 29th April; 3.30pm - 5pm; South West Dance Hub, Exeter Phoenix
Wednesday 30 April; 11am - 3pm; Moor Imagination Collective, Buckfastleigh
Tuesday 6th May; 11.30am - 1.45pm; Poetry Workshop, Exeter Phoenix
Tuesday 6th May; 3.30pm - 5pm; South West Dance Hub, Exeter Phoenix
Saturday 17th May; 12pm - 3pm; Challacombe Farm, Yelverton
Sunday 18th May; 11am - 3pm; Moor Imagination Collective, Buckfastleigh
Monday 19th May; 12pm - 3pm; Challacombe Farm, Yelverton
Friday 23rd May; 11:15am - 3:45pm; Ashburton Arts Centre, Ashburton

Filming Schedule 

Please note to feature your choreography or poetry in our films you must attend at least one filming day. Each cast member will be assigned a two hour slot on filming days.

Saturday 24th May; 11am-4pm; Challacombe Farm, Yelverton
Sunday 25th May; 11am - 4pm; Challacombe Farm, Yelverton

Performance Schedule 

Please note live performances are optional for participants. 

Sunday 29th June; 2pm - 5pm; Challacombe Farm, Yelverton
Friday 4th July; 4.30pm - 8.30pm; Moor Imagination Centre, Buckfastleigh
Sunday 6th July; 12pm - 2.30pm; Rougemont Gardens, Green Phoenix, Exeter

CHALLACOMBE CHRONICLED CALL OUT (PDF)

SIGN UP FORM (GOOGLE FORM) 

Should you wish to receive the form as a Word Document, please email Producer Clare Parker on clare@richardchappelldance.co.uk. 

Challacombe Chronicled is one of two commissions for Leeside, a creative collaboration between Natural England and Arts and Culture at the University of Exeter. The aim is to explore  how people build relationships of belonging with valued local environments, and inform future policy on strategies applied to these protected landscapes.