Our Rooted in Movement artist development programme was created to give artists time to play, discover and dream. While we’re not an artist development agency, we understand the importance of space and support without the pressure of output. The programme is for North of England based movement artists who have lived experience of being Othered, who want to invest time in their practice on their own terms.
Now, we’re taking the time to celebrate the brilliant artists we’ve supported over the last few years. Through residencies at The Bricks (our home in Walker) and travel bursaries – which provide resources for artists whose personal ancestry has roots beyond the borders of the UK – the programme tries to remove as many barriers as possible for artists to build a stronger relationship with their practise and themselves.
In the words of our Artistic Director & CEO, Nadia Iftkhar:
“Year upon year, it has been an honour to be able to witness artists’ excellence, growth and practise, and has cemented my belief in the need for a programme like this that is simple to access without any expected output.”
We’re proud to celebrate our recent Rooted in Movement recipients…
Mahshid Alavi
Residency Recipient 2025-26
Mahshid is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist based in Leeds, focusing on movement, live performance, and filmmaking.
Mahshid’s work blends Iranian and contemporary dance, with a strong focus on live performance, workshops, and storytelling, using movement as a language of resistance, memory and transformation. Expressing untold stories through the body and exploring the complex experience of displacement and deep connection to a place called home.
The residency provided Mahshid with a space to develop a long-distance collaborative performance, reconnect with Iranian dance and experiment with new ways of embodying and transforming that tradition in a contemporary context.
In Mahshid’s words:
“Having the time and space to focus on my project was incredibly valuable, and the artistic support throughout the residency was very helpful. It gave me the opportunity to develop my ideas further, and I’m very grateful that I was able to spend time in such a lovely studio space.”
Follow Mahshid’s work on Instagram: @mahshidea
Alicia Meehan
Residency Recipient 2025-26
Alicia Meehan is a movement artist, performer, choreographer, movement director and facilitator. Drawing from physical theatre, contemporary dance and comedy, Alicia creates immersive, cross-genre experiences that blur the lines between the real and the surreal. Her work thrives at the intersection of theatre, dance, cabaret and community-led performance, often incorporating text, props and episodic structures to explore the complexity of identity, power dynamics and societal expectations.
Her choreographic practice celebrates radical joy and unapologetic self-expression, blending movement, text and visual storytelling to challenge traditional norms and champion queer narratives. She is driven to create work that connects people and creates spaces where people feel seen, valued, and empowered.
For Alicia, the residency provided a space to deepen the development of her show, What Adult Am I?,exploring new modes of storytelling, refining and expanding with creative collaborators and cast.
In Alicia’s words:
“Rooted in Movement gave me the opportunity to slow down, explore new creative processes with a new creative team, and deepen my practice. It became a vital stepping stone in the development of What Adult Am I?, helping me secure Arts Council England funding to develop the project further.”
Keep up with Alicia’s work on Instagram: @alicia_meehan
Mez Ahad
Travel Bursary Recipient 2024-25
Mez Ahad is the mum of 2. She lives and works in the Northern town of Bradford. She trained at Northern School of Contemporary Dance and has recently retrained in South Asian styles of dance.
As a performer she has worked on stage, film, radio and music videos. Highlights include the seminal Carnival Messiah with Geraldine Connor, numerous Bollywood films directed by Bosco Martis, Breaking up with Bradford made for BBC radio 4 and the Bouglione Circus in Brussels.
She has worked across the Bradford district for 20 years teaching and facilitating both dance and drama to hard to reach communities. It is from this depth of experience she has begun to turn her attention back to academics and is looking to research dance at Bradford University in the coming year.
The last piece she made was called Salt Eaters and uses hologram technology to tell the story of a Muslim Dancer from Northern India in 1846.
Mez received the travel bursary as part of Rooted in Movement back in 2024. The trip couldn’t go ahead then, but we’re thrilled she could complete her travel in 2026.
In Mez’s words:
“The trip has set me back on a path, a different kind of path. It has nourished and re-energised something in me. I felt a change in my body, my soul, my mind and my thinking. I came back fortified.”
Hamzeh Al Hussien
Travel Bursary Recipient 2025-26
Hamzeh is a disabled artist from Syria who discovered theatre and performance in Za’atari camp through workshops, where he began to perform, touring shows across the camp and facilitating workshops with young people with disabilities. Hamzeh is a joyous performer who brings positivity, warmth and a lot of humour, and has countless stories to share of his incredible life. Hamzeh explores his lived experience of disability and seeking sanctuary through his autobiographical work.
Hamzeh is still yet to embark on his trip. We’re hopeful that Hamzeh will be able to complete his journey soon!
Follow Hamzeh’s journey: @penguin_by_hamzeh
We’re incredibly proud to have supported all these artists on their journeys and grateful to have been a small part of their development.
Applications for Rooted in Movement reopen May 2027.