Phoenix Wings – Dance

Launch Date: 12:00 (Noon) on Sunday 16th May, 2021

A short dance filmed using Niki Collier’s new work – large scale wings created in nuno-felting technique. They are the inspiration behind the storytelling of the dance. Tanya (the dancer) was filmed dancing with my art work – 3 m wings created in wool and silk. She embodies the piece: she lost her leg to cancer in 2017, but has risen again…

So were all the pieces made with the art grant?

Yes, the crown and the wings were made through the grant. The cocoon gossamer textile is part of an exhibition, H is for Hope, that nobody saw last year. The wool around the cocoon is from Wicklow. Farmers were hit badly by the pandemic and couldn’t sell the wool that they sheared last year.

The film was commissioned by Niki through the support of her Arts and Disability Grant. The director and cinematographer donated their time to this project for which we would like to express our gratitude.

Step into the exploration of flying

This is the story of rebirth, transformation and resilience. 

Born from ashes. 
Flying through flames. 
To reach the unbound place of serenity and strength.

Join Niki and her collaborators in exploring symbols of mobility in this short film through her visual art in collaboration with dancer Tanya Turner.

Niki Collier, concept and art

Niki Collier Dublin-based award-winning visual artist and designer working in fibre art and wearable technology. Her work uses scale to spark empathy & empowerment. She disrupts science and art to elevate the viewer to a protagonist. Her practice blends contrasting strands. Warped as an academic makes her relentlessly curious. Grown as disabled person and a woman makes her narrative about resilience. Her practice is nurtured by the meaningful connections with people with various abilities and from diverse backgrounds. All is done by making with wool. Niki Collier worked on this project with the support of Arts and Disability Connect Award given to her to develop skills so I could foster collaborative connections with communities and apply strategic techniques, find support networks and guidance of stakeholders at the onset of a project. Critically, I looked into understanding to achieve this from the perspective of a visual artist working through textiles.

Tanya Turner – dance

Tanya Turner grew up in the beautiful Wexford countryside, and knew from an early age she had a passion for music and dancing. She practised Irish dancing from the age of 8 – 11 and then played violin in the Wexford Sinfonia orchestra from age 12 – 17. She discovered ballroom dancing in college and later Salsa dancing. There was nothing that made her feel freer, except for African drumming, which she took up after finding a tumour in her left leg – something that curtailed her enjoyment of dancing for quite a while. This tumour eventually led to cancer, which led to the amputation of her whole left leg, back in 2017. But this didn’t stop her for long – in 2018 she discovered an integrated dance group based in West Cork, who welcomed her with open arms. She looks forward to new projects to come!

e-mail: violintanya@gmail.com
Instagram: @titaniumwoman2019
Dance Group Instagram: @croiglanintegrated

Jaro Waldeck – cinematography

Jaro Waldeck is an award winning cinematographer working across film, tv and commercial media. She likes to collaborate on art projects including music, dance, theatre, and those of experimental nature.  She is a member of the Czech Society of Cinematographers, and a newly appointed Vice Chair of Women in Film and Television Ireland. 

Facebook: Jaro Waldeck
Instagram: @jarowaldeck
Twitter: @jarowaldeck

Beta Bajgart – directing, editing

Beta Bajgart is an independent filmmaker and a freelance photographer based in Dublin. She is also an experienced journalist and reporter. Originally from the Czech Republic, she moved to Ireland in 2004. Beta has made five short films in collaboration with the cinematographer Jaro Waldeck, all of them were screened in film festivals internationally.

Beta is an author of an acclaimed photography coffee table book called A Woman’s Work about inspiring women in unusual and predominantly male professions.

Facebook: Beta Bajgart Photographer
Instagram: @betaphotographer
Twitter: @betaphotography

This project has been made possible due to the support of Arts and Disability Ireland in the form of a mentoring award.

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