In 2009, Gill Clarke and Fiona Millward initiated the WHAT festival, presenting and commissioning work by artists “who are choosing to ask questions through and of dance” (Gill Clarke). Curated by a number of different artists over the years including Frank Bock and Straybird (Lucy Cash & Becky Edmunds), the festivals were held at Siobhan Davies Studios and occasionally offsite.
These festivals were characterised by their emphasis on process over product, sharing work in experimental formats and challenging expectations of what a festival might be. Between 2009 and 2014, the festival ran annually every spring with co-producers and partners including Artsadmin, Siobhan Davies Dance and South East Dance. The final festival, What Remains, took place in 2016.
Documentation from the What Festival series is being catalogued and will be available in our digital library later this year.
