I think Coachwerks...
"Coachwerks has played a fundamental part in the development of my artistic practice in the last year. I performed, taught and spent an intensive research period at the studio in 2009. Coachwerks is the only dance studio I know in Brighton which is big enough and affordable for me use for my practice. It is also run by extremely supportive people who encourage performers to follow their artistic interest through offering space at a reasonable price, opportunities for showing work to an audience, publicity through their mailing list and front of house staff. The research week I spent at Coachwerks enabled me to spend a large chunk of time experimenting and delving deeper into my art form. I was also able to share my practice with a supportive audience without the pressure of having to show a product at the end of it.

I have always felt very welcome at the studio and it helps that the staff are artists themselves who have experienced and enjoy my work. Coachwerks also supports artists through offering training programmes taught by both international and local artists. I taught there as part of the Unschool Festival which brought my work to a larger local audience. Participants from that workshop continue to come to my weekly classes in Brighton. I also performed at last year’s festival which offered a diverse array of dance, music, improvised and devised pieces. Coachwerks is more than a rehearsal and performance space it is a vibrant centre which brings together the local arts community through offering various activities from scratch nights to poetry readings, dance classes, art films and a café."

Kate Hilder