ABOUT

Rachel Cherry is one of the leading dance and performance photographers in the UK, whose clients include Laban, Southbank Centre, Foundation for Community Dance and Big Dance.

Rachel originally studied dance at Laban, where she became increasingly interested in working with photography, installation and site specific work.

Photography became the focus of Rachel's creativity, and she later gained a Diploma in Photography at the London College of Communication.

More recently, Rachel was part of the Performing Idea workshop. This Live Art Development Agency initiative, offered her the opportunity to work with influential New York based visual artist, Janine Antoni. Many key aspects explored during this time have been applied to Rachel's current teaching practice.

Creative collaborations are key to Rachel's practice. In June 2011 she created Fractured a photographic installation, with choreographer and dancer Jean Abreu. The piece was supported by the National Lottery, through Arts Council England.

Rachel is a visiting Lecturer in dance and photography at the University of Bedfordshire. She is also studying an MPhil/PHD in Creative Practice (Collaborative Arts) at Laban, exploring the use of photography as a choreographic tool.

SELECTED CLIENTS

Laban  —  Southbank Centre  —  Greenwich Dance  —  Roehampton University  —  Foundation for Community Dance  —  Arts Council  —  DanceEast  —  University of Bedfordshire  —  Spiral Dansflokkur  —  Akram Khan Company  —  Jean Abreu Dance  —  Shoreditch Youth Dance Company.

SELECTED PROJECTS

Big Dance 2011  —  London Literature Festival  —  Imagine Children's Festival  —  Lord Mayor's Thames River festival  —  Dare2Dance  —  DanceMob  —  Share Your Talent  —  gDA Cabaret  —  CAT Programme  —  Bernstein Project  —  Laban Summer School  —  Foundation for Community Dance Summer School  —  2012 Cultural Olympiad  —  Laban Children's Show.

TESTIMONIALS

"Rachel provides a welcome unobtrusive approach to photographing dance. Her efficiency and speed means that she rarely misses those critical moments that can be so fleeting when people are moving and connecting, animated in thought or idea"
Lisa Craddock, Programme Manager for Professional Development, Foundation for Community Dance.

"Rachel covered several events for Big Dance 2010. We have been delighted with the images that captured, not only the range and breadth of activities, but also the energy and joy of those taking part"
Anne Hartley, Arts Council England.

"After working with Rachel Cherry in her photography workshop, I couldn't wait to get out and take my own photos. I became aware that movement from a dancer can be viewed from many different angles but you're not always able to see this when watching a performance, I wanted to explore this idea when taking photos."
Elliott Church, workshop participant. SifDans International Festival, University of Bedfordshire.

INTERVIEWS

Blink and You'll Miss It - Tracey Rushton-Thorpe. Dance Review, June 2011.

Big Dance 2010 - http://www.bigdance2012.com/rachel_cherry.php

EXHIBITIONS

Fractured. Rich Mix, London. 2011  —  The Hat Factory, Luton. 2011  —  An Instant of Form. What Now? Festival. Siobhan Davies Studio's. 2009  —  Age, Snapped. Eckersley Gallery, London. 2008  —  Humane. APT Gallery, London. 2004

AWARDS / ORGANISATIONS

Happen, Artist Development Programme. Bedford  —  National Arts Award, London College of Communication  —  Award for Excellent Academic Achievement. Bedford College.

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