Inspired by Rudolph von Laban’s work with Viennese workers in the 1930s – instilling movement principles in production lines to influence efficiency and wellbeing – choreographer Ruth Jones invited ten employees from Cherrytree Bakery away from the production of brownies and Chorley Cakes to perform a 12 minute choreographed performance based on authentic movements from the bakery floor.
Ruth set up a ‘Movement Club’ for bakers to attend at work, supporting and encouraging the group to investigate the physicality and movement in their everyday activities, as well as the historic and modern physicality of the factory itself, to create a completely new dance performance.
The bakers themselves, supported by a team of professional dancers performed ‘Traysway’ on BBC’s Breakfast to kick start the festival, with multiple performances spread across a gloriously sunny festival weekend in 2017.
As part of the National Festival of Making’s digital offering during 2020’s lockdown, we commissioned choreographer Ruth Jones to create an interactive movement choreography workshop over Zoom. Following on from Ruth’s original commission where she took inspiration from the factory floor of an industrial bakery, ‘Movement Club in the Kitchen, a Lockdown Choreography’ invited participants to find inspiration within their own home kitchen environments. The online callout resulted in a series of Zoom workshops in which 21 households with participants of all ages took part in a new choreography. Participants were based all across the UK, with one household taking part from The Netherlands.
Ruth Jones is a contemporary choreographer and specialises in working with people in unusual spaces. Having choreographed large-scale parades with non-professionals and community groups she thrives on socially engaged work. You will also find her professional outdoor dance work touring festivals and events, connecting with and entertaining audiences who may not ordinarily have the opportunity to see dance in a theatre setting.
Independent, family-run, and grounded in operational and technical excellence, Cherrytree Bakery was founded in 1984 with just one
product. Then came the Coffee Shop Revolution and through innovative spirit, investment and vision they are now the market leader in premium muffins and other cake products. The manufacturer is in the heart of Lancashire but they produce and distribute over 30 million treats a year to locations around the world.
Art in Manufacturing film by Wash Films, made possible with funding from Creative Lancashire
Photography by Richard Tymon
