Confluence is an interdisciplinary creative research laboratory based at Ushaw, interested in embodied learning, cross-pollinating and seeding new practices, inspired by close observation of riverscapes. We aim to establish ourselves as an outstanding provider of high-quality arts engagement focused on play, ecology and belonging.

Confluence Core Members

Scarlet (they/them) is a performance artist and creative facilitator, whose practice is informed by two decades of creative participatory processes for transformational change with marginalised communities and institutions, including the North Pennines Landscape Partnership and Durham University. They perform and teach online and in-person creating mesmerising performances and guiding people into embodied dreaming.

Fiery is a multidisciplinary artist and her work centres on creating with organic materials sourced from the landscape or integrating non-organic materials into natural environments. It explores themes of access, bodily limitations and societal impacts. Recognition of Fiery’s work includes winning the New Graduate Award in 2023 and exhibiting at Middlesbrough Art Week.

Seymour (he/him) is a creative professional with 14 years of experience in writing, storytelling, facilitation, and performance. He specialises in narrative development, creative workshops, and harnessing imaginative engagement through community-focused projects in diverse contexts. Seymour blends creativity with a therapeutic and inclusive approach that draws on his background as a mental health nurse. Check Seymour’s work out at Stories From The Borders Of Sleep