Give Me Space
From Studio to Stage
As a result of our year long research and development project, ConfiCo have created a striking new dance piece called Give Me Space.
Co-created by our Artistic Director, Jo Frater and the ConfiCo dance artists, the piece emerges from a rich tapestry of conversations, reflections, and lived experience. Drawing on personal and collective experiences of identity, voice, learning disability and autism, Give Me Space gives physical form to stories that are too often left unheard.
Give Me Space is more than just a performance - it's a powerful act of self-definition.
Knowing Disability Through Dance:
Disabled Voices Centre Stage
Supported by an Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant, ConfiCo spent a year together turning their lived experiences of disability into contemporary choreography. Led by Jo, the company unpicked the choreographic process, exploring how dances are created and stories are communicated.
Before diving into the content of Give Me Space, the company tested different choreographic devices; we played with use of space, relationships, chance choreography, imagination and many more. The work aimed to de-mystify how dances are made, empowering ConfiCo dancers to better understand the potential impact of their choreographic choices.
(ConfiCo artists developing choreography in the studio)
The work was informed by our ongoing research into accessible communication, and our person-centred approach to training. We piloted a toolkit that combined EasyRead guides to different choreographic methods including props, images and film and explored documenting our process through visual maps of the material the dancers were generating. This all tested a variety of ways to approach and document the dancers' individual choreographic voices.
The combination of research and choreographic training allowed us to have a truly collaborative approach to devising Give Me Space. After identifying the key messages the dancers wished to communicate from the I'm Me research project, ConfiCo and the team developed a piece that strongly articulates their experiences and places their creative voices centre stage.
What do ConfiCo artists think about the project?
“We’re showing people that they can learn what it is like to have a disability, and to not leave it in the dark. The show is helping people put themselves in our shoes.”
“I feel happy that people see my solo - it helps people understand what my mind is thinking, so they can do the right thing - I want people to give me space.”
“I enjoy seeing how the performance can change the mood - I would like to do more about what we have to say. It could open more doors for us.”
Audiences: Representation from Stage to Stalls
Elevate Slow Conference (Gulbenkian, Canterbury)
The work was previewed at the Elevate Slow Conference for Inclusive / Disabled-Led Arts at the Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury, in May 2025. There, we didn’t just perform — we held space. Through an accessible, post-show feedback session with audience and performers, we created a shared platform for connection, truth-telling and mutual recognition.
“It was very interesting because it was very much like me being on the spectrum, sometimes it is very hard for me to express myself because I really have moments where I want to express myself but I struggle. A lot of things in this reflected me, like a mirror.”
The impact for audiences was immediate and profound. Audience members, many of whom identified as learning disabled and/or autistic, spoke with passion and urgency about the joy and power of seeing themselves reflected on stage. Non-disabled people equally reflected on issues around visibility and ownership, exploring whose 'space' it is to give in the first place. Their message was clear: we need more of this.
I'm Me Festival (York St. John University)
In June, Give Me Space travelled to the I’m Me Festival at York St. John University, where learning disabled and autistic artists celebrated the culmination of a 2 year research project. ConfiCo performed alongside 6 other disability-led companies from across the UK, and shared the Knowing Disability Through Dance film as part of the research exhibition.
Attending the festival was ConfiCo's first experience of touring work, and it was an exciting opportunity for professional development. ConfiCo artists returned with a greater understanding of the disability-arts sector, a sense of ownership of the work and the desire to reach more audiences with their message.
(ConfiCo performing 'Give Me Space' at the I'm Me Festival, York)
Wavelength Festival (Folkestone)
Before the end of the project, we reimagined Give Me Space for outdoor performance as part of a new Folkestone dance festival, Wavelength. Our projection became placards, with clear statements from the dancers that drew the attention of over 150 people on the high street.
By bringing the work into public space, we demanded visibility for learning-disabled artists; we took up space beyond traditional theatre walls, reaching those who don’t usually see themselves reflected on stage, or who may not step into a theatre at all.
Next Steps: Developing Audiences and Community
This is a pivotal moment for ConfiCo. The project has emboldened our artists and furthered our mission to speak up, create visibility, and advocate for the rights, brilliance and leadership of learning disabled and autistic people in the arts and beyond. The richness of the content means there is opportunity to develop the piece into a full length work, giving space to the individual stories that have informed the process.
Across academic, artistic, community and educational settings, the work has sparked vital conversations — about power, access, expression and change. The most powerful audience responses were for those who saw themselves represented onstage, seeing stories and statements they identified with.
In 2026, we hope to tour Give Me Space, with a programme of wraparound activity that reflects the lived experiences, creativity and leadership of ConfiCo and other learning disabled young people in East Kent. The work will be place-based, bringing our audiences together to create a strong and galvanised community.
This work has been supported by Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants, Creative Folkestone and The Ashford Leisure Trust. Our work with the I'm Me project has been supported by York St. John University and Arts and Humanities Research Council.
