Beyond Words Dance: Creative Research and Trademarking
Donation protected
Beyond Words is a story-driven dance company presenting text in never-before-seen-ways. Drawing on globally reaching narratives, our work holds space for words to learn their physical power, articulating the dark and light of the human condition within themes of grief, mental health, and shared recovery.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO
We love the power of words and what they can achieve when embodied through dance. Across 4-years' research, we have developing a detailed, gestural technique of text-to-dance translation one we've refined with the help of professional artists, funding bodies, and education communities across the U.K.
You can watch us in action here.
We are excited to have reached the point where we feel able to share this method with the world. We don't, however have the funds to make this next step, which requires us to:
- give the technique a memorable & suitable name
- legally brand & trademark it
And we need your help to make it happen.
WHY TRADEMARK?
We believe in the power of our work & our methods. Our translation technique, is not only a wonderfully playful, choreographic tool, but a genuinely innovative and accessible new approach to artistic integration in the landscape of contemporary dance. We want it to be enjoyed and applied by many - but also believe in caretaking its use. Branding is the smartest and kindest way to do this, ensuring we honour its identity, and trademark its creation back to the source.
YOUR SUPPORT WILL FUND:
- 8-hours paid studio time for three company members to brain-storm & name the technique: £525 (based on £175 per day, per artist)
- Cost to file the brand of this new technique through Briffa Legal : £170
- Cost to finalise the brand and its trandmarking for proection through Briffa Legal: £375 (plus VAT)
Total Goal: £1070
HELPING OTHER ARTISTS
At a time when Arts Council funding is scarce, not only will this campaign help us to name and govern our creative methods - it will also signpost other wonderful artists towards wholly recognising and valuing their creative innovations - to see them as tools worthy of elevation and protection.
OUR WORK
Our journey began in 2021. Our mission, was to see if translation from text-to-dance was possible, and if this distinct, new approach to using text as movers, could create watchable and accessible dance-theatre.
Lead by poet, choreographer and Aristic Dirctor of Beyond Words, Helen Calcutt our performance work is story-driven, uniting contemporary dance, gesture, and voice, bringing dancers together through playful & unexpected exchanges to create compelling new modes of physical storytelling.
Our working adaptation of Max Porter's timeless, 'Grief Is the Thing with Feathers' has been supported by One Dance U.K., The REP Theatre, and Arts Council England.
FOLLOW YOUR DONATION
Keep up to date with our progress.
By July 2025: our technique will have a name. Follow our process to reach this goal, as well as gain tips on how it can be used, and how to connect and work with us through workshops and outreach.
By October 2025: our technique will be trademarked, and proetcted. Thank you!
Images by Ciara Clayton Photography, Tina Barnes, & Paul Stringer
Organizer
Helen Calcutt
Organizer
England