Kindred Folk creates dance and storytelling experiences for communities in non-traditional performance venues. Combining folk arts with contemporary styles, we create immersive performances for our audiences, blurring the line between audience and performer. Our work stems from ideas of culture, identity and community and access is embedded in to the foundation of both performance and engagement.
All of our work starts from conversations within communities, gathering stories and testimonials to inform the project. We can often be found partnering with libraries and cultural organisations.

Our

Values

Intuition

We believe that trusting our intuition will lead us down the path that works for everyone whether thats participants, artists or audiences.

Play

We believe that Play is for everyone regardless of their age. We play through stories with an understanding that dance says things that sometimes words cannot and words tell us something that dance cannot.

Imagination

We believe imagination allows us to create change, build worlds where we can wonder and respond empathetically to those around us

Generosity

We believe in giving as much as we can – ideas, space and appreciation for differing views allows us greater flexibility in our outlook and approach.

Curiosity

We believe in gently questioning and challenging the familiar is the key to discovering new ideas and gaining deeper understanding.

Communication

We believe good communication fosters connection. Through storytelling, listening and collaborating, we give space for everyone to articulate their thoughts, ideas and experiences whether that’s through movement, spoken word or song.

Where will you find us?

Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW) – Germany

  • Duisburg
  • Oberhausen
  • Mülheim
  • and surrounding areas

North Wales

  • Flintshire
  • Denbighshire
  • Wrexham
  • and in to Cheshire and Warrington
Our people

Meet the Team

Artistic Director

Emily O'Shea

Emily is a choreographer, facilitator, dance maker and community artist. Her work centres around working with people, whether that be collaborating with other artists in the studio or out connecting with communities. Emily believes that it is stories that connects us all and the more stories are shared the less isolated people feel.

Emily’s career has been eclectic, spanning over 3 continents working with people from a wide variety of backgrounds. Facilitating classes, workshops and projects with people of all ages and abilities across the North west of England, London, Ghana, Peru and Germany.

Emily originally trained at the Hammond School, graduating in 2011. She then went on to work on cruise ships before moving to London where she performed with a number of small contemporary companies. In 2016 Emily moved to Peru where she worked with NGO Social Creativa as their artist in residence. Upon returning to the UK, Emily settled back down in Cheshire where she has worked on community projects with Cheshire Dance, Dance Manchester and Company Chameleon. She went on to study at the University of Chester, graduating with an MA in Dance at the end of 2018, where her research focus was dance and storytelling.

In 2023 Emily moved to to NRW Germany and now works across both the UK and Germany.

Emily set up Kindred Folk Dance Theatre (formerly Emily O’Shea Company) in 2018 with her first project On The Border.

Freelance

Artists we work with

L Louise Gibbons

Louise Gibbons

Rough & Tumble 
Louise is a Freelance Dance Artist based in the North West. She graduated in 2010 from MMUC with a degree in Dance then went onto further dance training with 12 Degrees North Dance Company where she worked with; Lea Anderson, Filip Van Huffel, James Wilton and Gary Clarke during 2013-14. Throughout 2016-18 she toured nationally and internationally with an interactive early years show, Sponge (Turned On Its Head). Previously she has worked with choreographers/companies such as; Spilt Milk Dance, Belinda Grantham, Adele Thompson & Ludus Dance.

H Hannah Delaney

Hannah Delaney

On the Border, Rough & Tumble 
Hannah Delaney is a professionally trained dancer (University of Chichester, mapdance), working freelance in performance, teaching and project management roles (Emily O’Shea Company, BEEE Creative, Springs Dance Company, Dance Equation, FLUX Dance and others).

F Felicity Goodman

Felicity Goodman

Associate Director

Felicity Goodman is a director, storyteller, writer and community artist with a background in theatre. She has run creative workshops, experiences and performances for schools, families and adult learners for the last decade with:

Manchester Art Gallery, Z-Arts, The Pankhurst Centre, HOME Manchester, Manchester Literature Festival, Library Live, Tatton Park, the Royal Exchange, Victoria Gallery and Museum, Emily O’Shea Company.

From plays to poems, podcasts to prose, her work explores traditional tales, folk culture, the natural world, voice, families and identity.

A Aimee Williamson

Aimee Williamson

On The Border, Lost
Aimee is a dance artist based in Lancashire. After training with The Royal Ballet School and gaining a 1st Class BA (Hons) at Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, she performed with Rambert Dance Company at In Transit Festival, London. She then went on to tour nationally and internationally with Ballet Cymru. She has collaborated with Cerys Matthews in the production TIR. She has collaborated on many projects with independent dance and theatre companies throughout the North including Aboutime Dance Company, Androna Dance Theatre, Born & Bred Dance Theatre, LPM Dance Theatre, Wild Rumpus, Just Imagine UK, Turnaround Dance Theatre, Emily O'Shea Dance Company, as well as various works in television, music videos, festivals and film.