Raquel is a UK based dance theatre practitioner. She founded Unchartered Collective in 2016 to create theatrical encounters that explore the lived experience of invisible disability.
She identifies as dis-abled, works with rest and horizontality as creative impulses, and acknowledges 'crip' as a tool in her artistic process. She is interested in interrogating theatrical form, to tell stories about the lived experience of disability in unusual ways.
Raquel also advocates for a ‘The Resting Spaces Network', asking cultural institutions to widen access for invisible impairment communities by providing resting spaces or horizontal events. Through her projects and talks she seeks to challenge the etiquette of our public spaces and asks us to re-imagine how we might use our public space differently.
Other theatre credits
Raquel co-founded Lost Dog in 2004 and co-directed all productions up to and including the 2011 Place Prize Winner It Needs Horses. She re-joined the company in 2015 as artistic collaborator on Paradise Lost (lies unopened beside me) 2015; associate artist on Juliet + Romeo 2018; dramaturg on A Tale of Two Cities 2022 and dramaturg on Ruination 2022.
In 2017 she collaborated with Rachel Bagshaw as movement director on The Shape of the Pain, winner of a 2017 Fringe First Award and published by Oberon. In 2019 she was movement director on Headlong & The Royal Exchange’s new production of ‘Mother Courage'‘ directed by Amy Hodge, which received 4 stars in the Observer. She is currently working with Amy Hodge and Jude Christian on a stage adaptation of Monsieur Linh & His Child, supported by The Place and ACE.
Other Roles & Research
Raquel received a PMStudio Future Themes 2020 award to conduct interviews with local disabled artist on the theme of Crip Tech & Belonging. The research sought to find out more nuanced ways to remove barriers and create integrated spaces where disabled people feel they belong, and can thrive and do their best work. The research was shared in a PMStudio Lunchtime talk and the online booklet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUzAL3R-2fM
https://uncharteredcollective.com/crip-tech-belonging
Raquel was Dance Champion in residence at Arnolfini 2021-2022, supported by Dance Futures Bristol. She used this time to programme integrated dance workshops, and would like to see more spaces for disabled and non-disabled artist to play and train together. Arnolfini are committed to continuing an integrated dance programme in Autumn 2022- 2023.
@unchartereduk
CORE COLLABORATORS:
A core principle in Raquel’s practice is to acknowledge our connection and interdependence, as humans and as creators. She would like to acknowledge the essential collaborations with choreographer/dramaturg Laura Dannequin, composer Jamie McCarthy and creative producers MAYK, without whom the work would simply not be what it is.
Please find their biogs and website links below.
The work is also supported by Unlimited and Pervasive Media Studio.
Laura Dannequin is a movement practitioner, bodyworker, choreographer and dramaturg. Projects include Hardy Animal and The Secret Slowness of Movement. Collaborations as choreographer/associate artist include with Dan Canham/Still House; Bertrand Lesca and Nasi Voutsas (The End; The Beginning); Anneleen Keppens(Multitudes). She has worked with Raquel since 2018, as dramaturg and as her access worker.
Jamie McCarthy makes 'symphonic drone music' under the name CERFILIC. Expansive, meditative atmospheres mixing strings, occasional other instruments, animal and environmental sounds with sound processing Jamie’s collaborations as a composer and performer include with the Fevered Sleep Performance Company, Seke Chimutengwende, and Oro Amy Bell.
MAYK work with artists to imagine, create and present new live experiences for audiences everywhere. From one-on-one performances to large-scale co-created work, their projects are presented around the world and are the result of holistic long-term producing relationships.