Charlotte Vincent
UK, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / CHOREOGRAPHER / DIRECTOR
‘One of the most important feminist artists working in Britain today. Contemporary dance fans should beat a path to her door.’ The Observer, 2015
Charlotte formed Vincent Dance Theatre (VDT) in 1994 and has directed all the company’s work to date. Vincent devised and performed in all VDT’s work until 2002 and has designed the company’s work since 2005. VDT is an international ensemble devising collaborative, interdisciplinary performance work that challenges conventional values in dance and gender politics. Under Charlotte’s leadership, VDT allies the collaborative approach in the studio to the ethos and structure of the company, placing importance on equality for women, providing supportive conditions for parents to return to work and employing mature, experienced practitioners, giving value to the experience they bring to a creative process.
Charlotte is committed to raising the profile of female-led arts practice in the UK and her distinctive voice acts as a mentor, teacher, facilitator, writer, provocateur and catalyst for critical debate and social change. She is one of five inaugural mentors leading 2Faced Dance’s The BENCH. She is often invited to talk on panels and at conferences about gender inequality in the arts and remains a passionate and outspoken advocate for equal opportunity both on and off the stage.
Charlotte choreographs for other companies in the UK and abroad and regularly teaches choreography, devising and composition at BA and MA level here and abroad. She leads rigorous, transformative Practice Labs across the UK and facilitates a range of Participation Projects.
Vincent also works as an outside eye, director and facilitator, for example supporting the research phase in 2013 of Sue MacLaine’s startling production Can I Start Again, Please (Total Theatre Awards for Innovation 2015, Experimentation 2015 and Touring 2016); directing Two Destination Language’s hugely popular Near Gone (Total Theatre Awards for Innovation 2014 and Experimentation 2014) directing Keira Martin’s Here Comes Trouble (touring 2016 & 2017); reworking of Yami ‘Rowdy’ Löfvenburg’s OTHER (2016); supporting the R&D phase of Rachel Johnson’s Trapped (2017) and directing Emma Jayne Park’s It’s Not Over Yet (2017).
She has also collaborated and toured with accomplished performer Liz Aggiss as V&A Artefacts creating intelligent, funny, original performance work that challenges the perception of what women of a certain age should be up to on stage.
In 2012 Charlotte initiated and curated the inaugural Juncture in Leeds, a 4-week festival of experimental, female led performance / practice at Yorkshire Dance.
Charlotte sat on the Artists Advisory Group at Yorkshire Dance for several years and Steering Group for Dance UK’s National Choreographic Conference in 2013. She completed a Clore Leadership Short Course (2010), the Clore Programme for CEO/Artistic Directors (2011) and Clore Brave Conversations Programme (2013).
VDT is a National Portfolio Organisation, funded by Arts Council England and Associate Company at Brighton Dome and Festival. VDT are working in partnership with PDSW as a Dream Artist.
Photo credit: Bosie Vincent