Alison Ray will write a guide book on Choreographers and dance Companies of the African Diaspora from UK, Europe, America and Africa who has had an impact on the Black dance Scene from 1985-2000. The aim of the book is to inspire, inform and add to the legacy of the Black British Dance history. I am grateful to the Thea Barnes Legacy fund for funding this work.

On The Other Side《彼岸》explores the emotional impact on people who have experienced the death of others, imagination of death, and the imaginary contact between the dead and the living. In Resolution 2024, we will be presenting the 6th stage of new development of On The Other Side《彼岸》, which brings on an added element and focus on resilience. This next stage walks through how we live through traumatic experience such as sorrow, grief, and anger, to then build resilience. After traumatic experiences, we can re-find and regain power to become a new stronger person. We hope this performance resonates not only with people who have found the strength to get up in their past, but also empower people who are still finding their strength. The whole process of On The Other Side《彼岸》started in 2020 and had been through 5 stages of research and development: Trio R&D, First Solo, Ensemble, Second Solo, and Duet. It has been presented in dance festivals such as Florence Dance Festival, and been commissioned by dance companies such as Brancaccio Danza support by Italy Ministry of Culture. Its previous choreographic outcomes have predominantly been presented in the UK and Italy.

Esme Benjamin will be exploring ideas around process as performance through the development of a solo piece 'Free and Malfunctioning' - challenging the ways that society puts value on our bodies, to defy cultural expectations on how we should look, move and be in the world'. As part of this project, Esme will be writing a research paper discussing her creative methodology and how we translate bodily knowledge into language.

I have sustained an injury to my spine. When the pandemic hit I took the time to get my spine medically diagnosed. After three years of extensive medical examinations I was diagnosed to have four herniated discs (discs C6, T9, T10 and T11) in my spine, and an additional three sprung ribs which have healed incorrectly. Therefore my specific artistic aims and outcomes of this proposed activity revolve around taking a small period of time out from performance to allow for healing and rehabilitation enabling me to get back to my best in terms of my technique, performance and delivery of educational and choreographic projects. The Thea Barnes Legacy Fund is enabling me to pay for treatment costs over a 3-month period that will help me to fully recover from my injuries. The financial help will allow me to return to peak health and to continue my career.