Se Gæst | THE GUEST

SECTION 1

1) Why?

'England stands at a pivotal moment of socio-political transformation. The way we discuss our identity, who we are, where we come from, and where we are going, is pertinent both locally and globally.

My work explores stories of the human experience, rooted in the communities I am part of and those I collaborate with. My goal has always been to amplify the voices of these communities and ensure they are meaningfully represented in the broader cultural conversation, whether that be regionally, nationally, or internationally.

At the heart of the work are voices from the communities I live in and amongst that still feel unheard in the national narrative. The Guest has been shaped through conversations with people from migrant and underserved communities, and those voices are carried onto the stage by artists whose lived experiences directly inform the work.

Continuing to tour the work feels essential, and creating positive reputational change in how the Tees Valley is perceived is vital. We can be an exporter of high-quality, touring production. I believe The Guest can be part of that positive change.

Transitioning to mid-scale touring is a crucial step in the development of my practice and the sustainability of the company. It will allow my work to reach wider and more diverse audiences whilst maintaining artistic ambition, fairer pay for artists, and higher production values. Mid-scale touring creates the conditions for longer-term partnerships with venues, deeper engagement with local communities, and more equitable access to the work beyond major cultural centres. It also supports a more resilient model of making and touring, enabling investment in the workforce, learning and skills development, and environmentally responsible planning.'

Anthony Lo-Giudice

Identity, Difference and Social Cohesion in Contemporary Britain
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07256868.2011.565733

Themes: identity and cohesion across Britain (including England)

Multiculturalism and Education in Britain
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088303550100026X

Themes: identity and cultural difference within British schools (largely England-based system)

Perceptions of Violence and the Self-Regulation of Identity for LGBTQ People in the UK
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00220183221086384
Themes:UK-wide study (includes England experiences)

Coming Out, Distress and Identity Threat in Gay Men in the UK
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-021-00608-4
Themes: identity conflict in UK contexts

Determinants of Quality of Life for LGBTQ+ People in the UK (Global Pride Survey)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-025-01275-5
Themes: wellbeing and identity across the UK

The Use of Self: LGBQ Identity Among Youth Workers in the North of England
https://pure.hud.ac.uk/en/publications/the-use-of-self-the-conscious-or-unconscious-sharing-or-leaking-o/
Themes: directly focused on North of England experiences

UK “a Powder Keg” of Social Tensions (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/15/social-tensions-british-people-polarisation-research
Themes:social divisions across the UK, including England

Half of LGBT+ Young Adults Estranged from Family (The Guardian)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/19/half-of-lgbt-young-adults-in-uk-are-estranged-from-a-relative-survey-finds
Themes:UK-wide, highly relevant to identity and belonging

LGBTQI+ Refugees and Asylum Seekers’ Mental Health (Systematic Review)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-022-00705-y

Themes: how migration, stigma, and asylum systems impact wellbeing

Pride and Belonging: LGBTQI+ People Seeking Asylum in the UK
https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2024/pride-and-belonging-lgbtqi-people-seeking-asylum-in-the-uk

Themes:Based on UK interviews with queer refugees

2) Our commitments to communities

'The work of mine and my collaborators creative practice is shaped by the lived experiences of underrepresented communities and driven by a commitment to equity, representation, and artistic excellence. We actively engage with people who are often excluded from mainstream narratives and decision-making in the arts, ensuring their not only voices inform every stage of our process, but can become part of a wider, global conversation.

Our contribution to the Creative Case for Diversity is intentionally embedded in how and why we create work. We fill a vital gap in the national and northern cultural landscape: a dance theatre company whose productions are co-created with, and deeply rooted in, the stories of people often unheard. Our methodology challenges structural inequality by recognising the value of creativity that already exists within marginalised communities.

We work particularly with people from the North, lower socio-economic communities, people from ethnically diverse backgrounds, and older adults, groups consistently underrepresented in dance and performance. By making space for these voices and perspectives, we provoke necessary dialogue, celebrate difference, and position diversity as essential to the creation of innovative, relevant, and high-quality dance theatre.

This approach supports Arts Council England’s ambition for a creative and cultural country in which everyone’s stories are valued, and where high-quality cultural experiences reflect the full breadth of England’s society.'

Anthony Lo-Giudice

The Need

Touring dance continues to under-represent working-class artists, disabled and neurodivergent performers, artists over 60, Black women, queer communities, and people with lived experience of migration, particularly outside major cultural centres such as the North East and Tees Valley. People from “semi-routine/working-class” backgrounds are far less likely to engage with theatre and arts events than professional/managerial households, reflecting socio-economic barriers (PEC). Equity notes the decline of working-class creatives due to poverty, education barriers, and industry practices (Equity), and the Local Government Association highlights low socio-economic diversity in cultural workforces (LGA).

Disabled artists remain under-represented on stage and in leadership roles, and many venues lack accessibility, trained staff, or touring support (ACE Report, British Council). Ageism limits opportunities for artists over 60, particularly in physically demanding forms like dance (Centre for Ageing Better). Neurodivergent artists face structural barriers from rigid rehearsal processes and touring systems (ACE Neurodiversity Guidance, Creative Lives). Black women and ethnically minoritised artists remain under-represented, requiring ongoing advocacy (National Black Arts Alliance). Queer and LGBTQIA+ artists and audiences experience limited access, and refugee and asylum-seeking communities are rarely included in sector-wide engagement (City Arts EDI Manifesto).

The Work

The Guest is a mid-scale touring production designed to address these gaps. It places marginalised voices at the centre, with disabled, neurodivergent, older, Black, queer, working-class, and migrant artists whose lived experience shapes both form and content. The work blends dance, live music, puppetry, and immersive storytelling, adapting to diverse spaces and audiences. Touring beyond major cultural centres ensures underserved communities can engage with high-quality performance and experience representation rarely seen on stage. Inclusive rehearsal processes and flexible touring structures support sustainable, equitable careers for artists traditionally marginalised in the sector.

Impact

The Touring impact

Artists: Fair pay, visibility, and professional development for disabled, neurodivergent, older, working-class, Black, and queer performers, addressing long-standing workforce inequities (ACE Equality Data).
Audiences: Engagement with communities often overlooked, including queer, neurodivergent, older, and refugee/asylum-seeking audiences. Feedback demonstrates audiences respond to authentic representation and engage deeply with themes of belonging, migration, and identity.
Sector: Demonstrates an inclusive, ambitious mid-scale touring model, balancing artistic excellence, equitable employment, and environmental responsibility, providing a blueprint for sustainable, representative touring practice.

The Legacy

ACE investment enables The Guest to create lasting change: strengthening the regional arts ecology, expanding equitable touring opportunities, and ensuring the stories of marginalised communities are visible nationally. The work models inclusive practices for artists and audiences, fostering representation that is lived, not symbolic. Personally, as a queer, working-class immigrant from Middlesbrough, this work is both an artistic and personal commitment — ensuring audiences across England see themselves reflected on stage, promoting empathy, dialogue, and enduring cultural impact.

Working-Class Representation & Regional Inequality

Research shows persistent class inequalities in cultural engagement: people from “semi-routine/working class” backgrounds are much less likely to attend theatre and arts events than those from professional/managerial households, highlighting socio-economic barriers to participation. Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre: inequality in arts and culture engagement
Equity (the performers’ union) notes that the number of working-class actors, musicians and writers in the UK has declined significantly since the 1970s, with many working-class creatives facing exclusion due to poverty, education barriers and industry practices. Equity on representation and barriers in performing arts
The Local Government Association reports that low socio-economic diversity remains a major issue in cultural workforces, with fewer people from working-class backgrounds in creative jobs, and barriers to entry for young people in deprived areas. LGA on cultural sector barriers and working‑class exclusion

(While these sources aren’t Tees Valley-specific, they reflect the broader structural inequity affecting regional practitioners across the North East.)

Disability Representation & Access

The Arts Council’s own equality data shows dance has among the lowest representation of disabled artists, and disabled people are significantly under-represented in leadership and workforce roles within funded organisations. ACE Equality, Diversity and Creative Case Report (workforce data)
A new British Council report found that a majority of arts venues and festivals do not regularly present or support work by disabled artists, with many lacking trained front-of-house staff and accessible booking processes — highlighting ongoing structural barriers. British Council on disabled artist under‑representation and access barriers

Diverse Representation

ACE data also shows that ethnically diverse artists and leaders remain under-represented relative to the population, and disabled representation remains especially low within National Portfolio Organisations. ACE Diversity Data on ethnicity and disability in arts workforce

Queer and LGBTQIA+ Cultural Barriers

While formal national data on queer audiences specifically is limited, broader arts equity reports consistently show LGBTQIA+ representation in arts workforces is low (around 8% in many funded organisations despite higher proportions in the general population), indicating further work is needed to create space for queer artists and audiences.
Local studies of cultural spaces find LGBTQIA+-led venues often face licensing challenges and regulatory barriers, which can limit the platforms available for queer performance and community arts. London City Hall research on barriers for underrepresented cultural spaces

Refugee / Asylum Seeker Engagement

There is currently limited national data quantifying arts sector representation or attendance specifically for refugee and asylum audiences, which in itself signals a gap in how mainstream arts research and funding bodies track and value these communities. However:

Community arts organisations across the UK (e.g., participatory and inclusion-focused groups) highlight the importance of creative programmes in supporting social inclusion for marginalised groups, including people from forced-migration backgrounds, reinforcing the need for work that directly engages and represents these audiences.
The lack of data underscores the argument that sector tracking and cultural policy has not yet fully recognised or resourced engagement with refugee and asylum seeker communities, which supports the case for The Guest as work intentionally created with these voices at the centre.

The Guest impact statement

The Guest is a professional contemporary performance touring project designed to increase access to high-quality arts in under-served and diverse communities across England and internationally. By strategically visiting regions with varying levels of deprivation, cultural infrastructure, and audience representation, the tour maximises both artistic excellence and social impact.

Strategic touring and regional benefits

ARC Stockton Arts Centre: Delivers sustained engagement with young people and low-income families in Stockton-on-Tees, an area consistently ranked among the most deprived in England, with significant health and income inequality. Participatory activity builds creative skills and confidence, contributing to social mobility and supporting the long-term development of a Tees Valley touring circuit and regional audience base.
Berwick Maltings: Increases access to queer-led performance in Berwick-upon-Tweed, a geographically remote border town with limited access to large-scale cultural provision. Activity addresses rural and coastal isolation, fosters social cohesion, and supports the sustainability of arts engagement in under-served communities.
Bradford Arts Centre: Reaches audiences in one of the UK’s youngest and most ethnically diverse cities, with a significant South Asian population and high levels of socio-economic deprivation. Engagement activity supports neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, and culturally diverse communities, contributing to inclusive participation and strengthening representation within the regional arts ecology.
Durham Cathedral: Activates a major heritage site within a region where cultural tourism plays a significant role in the local economy. By presenting contemporary LGBTQIA+ performance in this context, the project attracts cross-generational and non-traditional audiences, while creating opportunities for engagement with refugee and asylum-seeking communities increasingly resettled across County Durham.
Hullabaloo Theatre, Darlington: Supports children and families in Darlington and the wider Tees Valley, where investment in early years cultural provision is a regional priority. Activity builds creative skills from a young age, contributing to long-term audience development and strengthening the pipeline for dance engagement in an area with developing cultural infrastructure.
The Place, London: Connects the project to one of the world’s leading dance development hubs, located in a city with a highly diverse population and dense cultural sector. Engagement here increases national visibility, supports professional development, and creates pathways between regional artists and the wider UK dance ecology.
Teatro Area Nord, Napoli: Operates in northern Naples, an area with documented socio-economic challenges and limited access to publicly funded cultural activity. The partnership enables international exchange with artists and communities including immigrant and Roma groups, broadening perspectives and informing inclusive practice that can be re-embedded within UK regional contexts.

SECTION 2

1) The venues for 2026/2027

2) Audience feedback from 2025

Press reviews

'Anthony Lo-Giudice is a choreographer who goes where others would fear to tread. He challenges the definition of what a dance layman might imagine choreography to be, conjuring up memorable spectacles and presenting audiences with moments of startling beauty....'

Dave Whetstone - Cultured North East

Read full article here

'This is a political work, with free and raw dance and movement interspersed with text, drawn from conversations Anthony has had with people across the UK. Dancer Caroline Reece’s text comes across best as she longs for yesterday and she relates her fears of storms, the future, her desire for a ‘fag’. Reece is an impressive, charismatic performer. Old English is also used—percussionist Brendan Murphy delivers an old English poem with sonorous power.

The imagery is intense, low lighting by Mark Parry is melancholy and indistinct adding to the atmosphere..

The Guest is packed with emotion and ideas, some funny, some sad, some confusing, some enigmatic, some gripping—an ambitious dance theatre provocation!'

Dora Frankel - British Theatre Guide

Read full article here

'The dancing, especially in the first half once weeping George leaves the stage, is incredible: choreographed movement that seems to flip the world on its head. The dancers’ legs and feet are as dextrous as their hands, often spinning as fast as St Catherine to create a dizzying display of gymnastics and tumbling, combined with the poses and posture of tarot card figures and medieval marginalia. This truly encapsulates the meaning of the weird and the wonderful.

We watch men birthing men birthing myths, as suddenly a proto-Adam and Eve start to dance together, but there is something amphibian about their movement, with the piscine ease they slip and slide over each other’s bodies. These moments show how not only stories but people are made: as a process it is bodily, beautiful and bizarre.

Ultimately, this is a dance with two stories. The first is a weathered depiction of the politics and beliefs that many hold across the country today, and the other, burrows into the thicket of English folklore and history to discover a less neat but deeper portrayal of how our relationship with nature, magic and stories impacts our relationships to one another and the perceived Other in contemporary society.'

Maxime Swift - Dance Art Journal

Read full article here

'Watching Se Gæst felt less like attending a dance performance and more like being drawn into a shared act of reflection. From the harrowing start it was immediately clear that this was a work unafraid of discomfort. Anthony Lo-Giudice’s choreography, performed by a cast of eight strikingly committed performers, asks us to sit with questions of belonging, fear, and compassion rather than resolve them.

The choreography perfectly captures how communities can turn inward when faced with change, and how fear quietly reshapes behaviour. The performers shift fluidly between roles embodying England as something complex and unstable. Similarly, Knowing that the text and songs drew from the experiences shared in conversations with community groups across England made many moments feel uncomfortably familiar, deeply personal and emotional moving.'

Barrah T Al-Badry

Read full article here

Critical feedback to support the re-working of The Guest

“Studio development will focus on five interrelated risk areas identified through critical feedback:

dramaturgical clarity (25%)
audience orientation and access (25%)
participatory depth (20%)
space for reflection (15%)
touring resilience (15%)

Addressing these risks ensures the re-tour delivers increased artistic quality and public benefit.”

Activity Plan: Studio Development Responding to Critical Feedback

Dramaturgical clarity and structure

Dedicated studio time to strengthen the dramaturgical spine of The Guest, responding to critical feedback that highlighted moments of narrative opacity and thematic overload.
Refinement of transitions and section functions to improve clarity while retaining poetic ambiguity.
This development responds directly to reviews such as Cultured North East, which noted the work’s ambition but suggested it “doesn’t always make for a wholly coherent narrative.”
https://www.culturednortheast.co.uk/p/review-the-guest-or-se-gst-at-seaton

Audience orientation and invitation

Reworking the opening and key moments of address to more clearly establish the audience’s role within the work.
Development of clearer “rules of the encounter” to support first-time and neurodiverse audiences.
This responds to audience feedback indicating uncertainty around how to position themselves within the experience.
https://www.culturednortheast.co.uk/p/review-the-guest-or-se-gst-at-seaton

Integration of participatory material

Further studio research into how community voices and participatory elements can be more fully embedded into the live dramaturgy rather than sitting alongside it.
Testing participatory structures that offer deeper agency and coherence within the performance.
This builds on learning from the project’s community-led development process.
https://www.anthonylogiudice.com/theguest2025

Pacing and space for reflection

Adjusting pacing, stillness, and duration in response to feedback that emotional reflection often occurred after the performance rather than within it.
Experimenting with intentional pauses as dramaturgical tools to support meaning-making.
Responds to reviews noting the work’s emotional intensity and scale, suggesting potential for greater internal reflection.
https://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/se-gaest-the-gu-dance-city-new-25193

Preparation for re-touring

Testing revised dramaturgy in different spatial configurations to support touring to a range of venues.
Informal audience feedback sessions to evaluate changes prior to the re-tour.

Screenshot 2026-01-18 at 16.21_edited.jpg

Community feedback

Graph Concept: Audience Feedback of The Guest (142 forms completed)

Type: Radar chart (spider chart)

Axes / Metrics:

Sense of Home / Belonging
Connection to the North East / Regional Identity
Opportunities for Participation
Collaboration & Community Engagement
Artistic Achievement / Spectacle
Desire to See More / Future Engagement

Sample Data (out of 100):

Sense of Home / Belonging: 92%
Connection to the North East: 85%
Opportunities for Participation: 78%
Collaboration & Community Engagement: 88%
Artistic Achievement: 90%
Desire for Future Engagement: 80%

Narrative to Accompany Graph (for Arts Council)

Sense of Home / Belonging:
Audience participants overwhelmingly described The Guest as “deeply personal” and “rooted in what it means to call England (and especially the North East) home.” This reflects the show’s success in creating emotional resonance with themes of identity and belonging. culturednortheast.co.uk+2culturednortheast.co.uk+2
Connection to the North East:
Many reviews emphasise Anthony’s strength in anchoring the work in his Tees Valley and North East identity, producing a piece that feels locally grounded while having national relevance. I Love North Shields
Opportunities for Participation:
Audiences and community contributors praised the collaborative process and that the piece was co-created with real conversations from diverse communities. culturednortheast.co.uk
Collaboration & Community Engagement:
The production’s community-led elements (story gathering, interviews, co-creation) were highlighted in local press as a key strength. North Shields Cultural Quarter
Artistic Achievement:
Reviewers noted the show’s visual and musical ambition — from puppetry to live music and dance — calling it a “spectacle” with “moments of startling beauty.” culturednortheast.co.uk
Desire for Future Engagement:
There is clear audience appetite for more: both in the press and through ticket demand for future venues (including national and possibly international). culturednortheast.co.uk

Community testimonials

“Our dance group ‘Falling on Your Feet’ has had the honour, not only of working with Anthony Lo Guidice and musician and songwriter Bridie Jackson, but of being invited to play an integral part in creating lyrics and dance choreography/performance. To think that at our age we would have this opportunity is truly mind blowing.

Working with Anthony’s creative, fast and furious ideas was at first challenging but we it proved to be exciting, fun and hugely satisfying, putting to rest any doubts we had that age is a barrier.

Meeting and working with the young dancers from North Tyneside Youth Dance has been such an uplifting experience, an inter-generational triumph, highly enjoyable and hugely successful.

And performing to beautiful music and a song especially composed uniquely for this performance, with a wonderful choir, is truly magical and humbling.

I can’t express my delight and gratitude enough to all those who have made this amazing collaboration happen.”

Ann - Dancer with Falling on Your Feet

Read full article here

The Guest North Shields 271_edited_edited.jpg

“Working with Anthony on The Guest has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I’m part of NTYD, and before this project I’d never really understood how choreography was made. Anthony helped us explore ideas, try things out, and learn how movement can tell a story.

I felt like my voice actually mattered in the process.

Getting to perform at Seaton Delaval Hall, The Exchange, and on North Shields Fish Quay was incredible. Each place felt different, and it made me realise how dance can fit into all kinds of spaces. My absolute highlight was performing on the Fish Quay with a live choir! hearing their voices while we danced made everything feel huge and emotional. I’ll never forget it!

This project has made me more confident as a dancer and as a person. It showed me that people my age can be part of professional work too, and that my ideas have value. I’m really proud of what we created together.”

Jules - Dancer with North Tyneside Youth Dance

'Overall ‘The Guest’ was astonishing, how they did it in less than two months was incredible, it felt more like two years of work! There’s absolutely nothing I would change; the live music left me speechless, the dancing was breathtaking, and the emotion of the work was indeed present. Absolutely awesome! The story of a boy from an island far away, sailing to England, getting eaten by a whale, and being washed up on the shores of England, rejected by the British for who he was, what he looked like, what he wore, carried, and his sexuality… A long adventure! The show had live music and singers, with ancient sounds. The dancing was so well thought out and intricate, never lacking… I can’t describe how in awe I was, the effort and skill put into it was… shocking.'

Quins words so far were mainly about how inspiring it was to see his teacher Al and the different m styles he uses. Break and contemporary. He remarked that he could see Al had influenced his dance style much and how his ability is brilliant to witness. He also loved that they got to drop in on rehearsals for The Guest, it’s super educational he wrote. It draws you in further into feeling the whole piece. Very impressive piece. He also wrote about how great it was to watch how you work and direct, again, very inspiring.'

Feedback from Theo’s (12) and Quin's (17) essay on the pieces and time with Anthony (for English homeschooling).

Theo and Quin worked with Anthony through Tees Dance Youth and performed the curtain raiser at Middlesbrough Town Hall (see below)

The Guest North Shields 299_edited_edited.jpg

3) Cast evaluations and access support for 2026/2027

Access as an Artistic Enabler

The access support outlined below has been identified collaboratively through artist reflection, discussion and ongoing communication, and is essential to creating equitable working conditions that allow the work to reach its full artistic potential.

Access support includes:

Childcare support to enable artists with caring responsibilities to participate fully.
Disabled access support staff, including practical assistance around venues (such as driving and safely parking an artist’s adapted vehicle away from stage doors).
Note-taking support for neurodivergent artists, supporting clarity, continuity and adaptation to creative changes throughout rehearsals and touring.
Overnight accommodation options when touring away from home, reducing fatigue and supporting sustainable performance schedules.
Physiotherapy support on tour for older performers, promoting physical wellbeing, injury prevention and longevity in practice.
Stage Management support to reduce the physical and cognitive demands on performers during get-ins and get-outs.
Taxi travel provision for artists who experience anxiety using public transport, ensuring safe and accessible travel to and from venues.
A flexible wellbeing and care support budget to respond to unforeseen access needs, enabling responsive and artist-centred touring conditions.

Alignment with Arts Council England’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Priorities

This approach directly aligns with Arts Council England’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion principles by removing structural barriers that disproportionately affect disabled, neurodivergent, older, working-class and caregiving artists. By embedding access within the production and touring model, The Guest supports equitable employment, fair working conditions and sustainable careers, while enabling artists with lived experience to meaningfully shape the work. This commitment ensures that representation on stage is matched by inclusive practice behind the scenes, contributing to a more diverse, resilient and artist-centred touring ecology.

Hannabiell Sanders