We’re delighted to announce that we’ve joined forces with the British furniture manufacturer, Vitsœ, bringing together the arts and manufacturing in one inspirational new creation space here in Leamington Spa.
The co-habitation was conceived by Vitsœ and Motionhouse to create a vibrant and like-minded working community. Since the 1960s, Vitsœ has had a long history of collaborating with artists and designers, including a recent collaboration with Central St Martins for a third year running to exhibit the work of students and staff of the BA Jewellery Design Course, as part of Munich Jewellery Week.
Spanning 135 metres in length, 25 metres in width and 6 metres in height, Vitsœ’s naturally lit and ventilated furniture production building lends itself beautifully as a rehearsal space. The initiative has received funding from Arts Council England, which has praised the innovative and creative nature of the partnership.
Peter Knott, area director of Arts Council England, said, “Creative partnerships such as this are a fantastic way to share ideas and discover new ways of working. As part of our capital funding, we are pleased to be supporting Motionhouse as they become ever more resilient and innovative. Together Vitsœ and Motionhouse can inspire and complement each other, blending the best of art and business to form a unique and productive atmosphere where creativity can thrive.”
Louise Richards, Executive Director of Motionhouse said, “The move to Vitsœ makes an extraordinary difference to how we create and rehearse our work. The building is inspiring and a wonderful space to work in. But more than that,Vitsœ ethos, the creative community of which we are part, and the partnership we are building together is stimulating, ground-breaking and truly visionary. We are very much looking forward to this new, shared venture with such a remarkable company. We are extremely grateful to Arts Council England for the financial support they have given us to make this possible.”
Motionhouse dancers and Vitsœ teams work together in the single volume, coming together each day to share coffee, lunch and conversation. Lunch is freshly prepared with local produce by the resident chef in Vitsœ kitchen.
Mark Adams, Managing Director of Vitsœ, said, “In conceiving our new building, we wanted to create a space that was adaptable and enabled us to explore cultural interactions and connections. Experiencing dance can have a powerful, transformative effect and Motionhouse is a creative force whose work is truly breath-taking. Our collaboration brings together creative minds from different disciplines, offering new perspectives that enrich our working lives.”
Vitsœ officially opened the new HQ and production building in October 2017. Find out more in this interview with our Executive Director, Louise Richards.
We look forward to making lots of exciting new work in this beautiful new creation space!
