New Rituals is a collaborative project by artist and choreographer Simone Kenyon exploring and reviving historic working class community traditions on the Isle of Sheppey.
Working with an intergenerational group of local people alongside invited artistic collaborators, Simone will lead the co-creation of a new ceremonial tradition for the port town of Sheerness – a place defined, and often stigmatised, by its industrial heritage and proximity to the sea. Together they will explore how ritual can act to preserve histories through storytelling, singing, movement, object and costume.
Inspired by the island’s rich working class history and the overlooked stories and experiences of local people, New Rituals seeks to rediscover and celebrate Sheppey’s unique community identity and establish a new ceremonial tradition that can be passed on to future generations.
The project will culminate in a public performance of the new ceremonial tradition in August 2025, welcoming the wider community to join us live on the street of Sheerness.
New Rituals is funded by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grant programme, celebrating working class histories, and The National Lottery Community Fund.
Simone Kenyon is a UK based artist, dancer and producer. She creates works that encompass dance and somatic practices, environment, ecology, walking arts, participatory events and workshops for both urban and rural contexts.
Her solo practice explores walking as a choreographic practice, sensory experiences and our perceptions of environments.
She has a wide breadth of knowledge and skills informing how she creates work for and with specific places and people. This includes facilitating and running workshops for her research projects, Feldenkrais and walking workshops and for other artists and organizations.
She often works in collaboration with other artists and specialists, including her work with dance artists Neil Callaghan. Their recent works have been shown at Fierce Festival, Birmingham, The Hayward Gallery and Sadlers Wells, London and has toured internationally in China with Forest Fringe.