Dance Away The Spiders is a physical piece of theatre that had its first sharing at HOME as part of PUSH Festival 2019. 
The participants are from different ethnic backgrounds, from different parts of Greater Manchester and they have never experienced theatre before. Nevertheless, they appeared confident and strong. 
​Sheba Arts was selected to produce this commission for Push Festival 2019 at HOME, Manchester.

 ''The show was beautiful. I found it delicate, interesting and tenderly handled.''

 'It was great to see the women take ownership of the stage and really get so much out of the process.''

 - Audience Feedback 


A review by Peter Kalu
 ​Dance Away The Spiders took place at Home, Manchester, UK. on 22nd January 2019.
Ask theatre professionals what group might be the hardest group to work with from the point of view of simple logistics, and asylum seekers / refugees would be right up there. They often live precarious, indigent lives in which even turning up to a meeting can require expense and movements beyond their capacities. To attempt to organise a group of seven into a solid dance corps and to create a work of art to be staged live in a major theatre is to embrace therefore the utmost uncertainty.  Yet working with Sheba Arts, a refugee-led arts organisation, this group managed it.
On the night, the performance was preceded by a short video providing glimpses into the women’s lives, the difficulties they have had, some reflections of their selves outside the rehearsal studio, off-stage: their daily lives, the private joys they find there and the challenges they face – the video makes an explanatory and humanising counterpoint to the live performance.
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Featuring performances from:

Aurela (Albania), Bukky (Nigeria), Kawser (Bangladesh), Ligjirie (Albania), Nafas (Iran), Sally (Guatemala) & Sophia (Manchester)

Director & Dramaturg - Fereshteh Mozaffari,
Workshop Facilitator-Dipali Das
Sound Design  - Geli Berg
Movement Advisor - Imani Jendai
Digital Artist - Sophia Gardiner