Into The Mountain is a new place sensitive performance project by artist and choreographer Simone Kenyon.

Inspired and informed by the lyrical and embodied prose of Nan Shepherd’s 1974 book, The Living Mountain, the project explores and celebrates women’s relationships with high and wild places (for clarity this includes cis women, trans women and intersex women).

‘Walking out of our bodies and into the mountain’ is an invitation and gesture from Shepherd towards a collective experiencing of the Cairngorms, guiding us toward the possibilities for transformation and the more-than-human connections that can be made within these mountains.

– Simone Kenyon

Into The Mountain will develop throughout the year informed by the projects exploratory workshops, outdoor education programme, mountain leader traineeships, talks and meets within the Cairngorms National Park, Moray, Aberdeenshire and the central belt of Scotland. It culminates in a place-sensitive performance journey presented within the Cairngorm mountain range in May 2019 for a live audience.

Through working directly within the unique environment of the Cairngorms plateau and with woman living within the communities of the National Park, Into The Mountain celebrates women’s encounters with mountainous environments, addressing both historical and current perspectives of gender and access in relationship to the Scottish landscape.

All aspects of the project are informed, created and delivered by women. 

Support & Acknowledgements

Into The Mountain is produced and commissioned by Scottish Sculpture Workshop (SSW) and co-commissioned by Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), City Moves Dance Agency, Dance North and Tramway. The project is also supported by Mountainering Scotland, Aberdeenshire Council and Creative Scotland.

The costume for the performances was kindly supported by Zamberlan, Darn Tough, Regatta and Glenmore Lodge.

Previous research and development contributing to this project includes: Cove Park artist residency supported by Jerwood Foundation, Tramway Associate Artists 2017 and DIG, Creative Scotland funded research and development on Women Walking, Deveron Projects artist in residence for the Hielan Way project. Thank you also to all of the people who have supported, shared with and held this project along the way.

Lead artist, choreographer, researcher and project initiator: Simone Kenyon 

Performed and devised by: Jo Hellier, Nussatari, Caroline Reagh, Keren Smail and Petra Söör 

Guided walks facilitated and co-devised by: Margaret Kerr, Jean Langhorne, Saffy Setohy

Composer and voice director: Hanna Tuulikki

Choir leader and vocalist: Lucy Duncombe

Choir: Alison Bell, Frances Davis, Beatrice Fettes, Anna Filipek, Caroline Gatt, Sarah Hobbs, Norma Hunter, Julie Lawson, Lisa Lawson, Sandy Leahy, Rebecca Livesey-Wright, Margaret Moore, Adele Napier, Angela Patterson, Sheila Pettitt, Sandra Robertson, Catherine Rose, Hannah Swift, Shelia Waterhouse, Ailsa Williams, Victoria Woodcock

Mountain leaders: Kathy Grindrod, Heather Morning, Sue Savege

Choreographic mentor: Rosemary Lee

Documentation: Lucy Cash, Felicity Crawshaw

Education facilitators: Anna Fleming, Jo Hellier

Knitwear design: Jeni Allison

Trouser design: Hilltrek

Graphic design: Maeve Redmond

Website design: Tara Pattenden

Route health and safety advisor: Heather Morning

Project assistants: Annie Hazelwood, Rebecca Grant

Volunteers: Joe McManners, Diane Smith, Niko Wearden

PR: Nicola Jeffs, Tracy Jones

Producers: Scottish Sculpture Workshop