dance music physical theatre creativity
‘Sonrisa’, pronounced s-on-reee-sah, means smile in Spanish!
Sonrisa Arts create an enchanting magical playful world for the young & the young at heart, using exciting contemporary dance, original live music and physical theatre placing creativity at the centre of all our work.
We produce and tour high quality productions regionally and nationally to both theatre and non-theatre spaces, delivering creative dance and music workshops and projects in our local community.
Our projects and performances aim to be accessible to young children, families and the older generations. We target those who do not easily access the arts due to their health, the location in which they live and/or their socio-economic situation.
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to engage with the arts as a participant and/or audience member and that the arts has the power to change and enhance people's lives, contributing positively to health and wellbeing.
Our magical quirky humorous and interactive productions delight audiences with a distinctive blend of inspiring dance and physical theatre, memorable live music and immersive staging.
Based in Warwickshire, Sonrisa Arts is a Community Interest Company founded in 2023.
Sonrisa Arts has recently received Ignite funding from Warwick District Council for business development.
Our Directors have a wealth of experience in the arts,
take a look below to see some of the shows we have been involved in...
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kath Kimber-McTiffen
Kath is a founding Director of Sonrisa Arts.
Kath trained as a dancer at Coventry Centre for Performing Arts, gaining a first class BA (hons) Degree in Arts Practice and Cultural Policy from Coventry University in 1997. She has a 25 year portfolio career as a performer, choreographer, musician and community dance artist working in schools, the community and touring nationally, with all ages and abilities ranging from early years and families, children and young people to working with the elderly.
She co-founded and co-directed Wriggle Dance Theatre for 11 years, creating professional interactive performances, workshops/projects for children and families, working as a performer, workshop leader, co-director and producer and touring both locally and nationally.
In 2023, Kath was one of the 12 professional dance makers selected for the Little Big Dance Artist Lab.
As a musician she co-writes, sings and plays flute with Latin jazz band, Sonrisa (now part of Sonrisa Arts), touring the UK to theatres, rural touring, including two schools tours with Cambridgeshire Music.
Kath has an extensive practice with older adults and is also a Lead Dance Artist on the Live Well and Dance with Parkinsons programme , the National Dance to Health falls prevention programme and Arts and Dementia Warwickshire for Arts Uplift.
Kath is also a highly experienced producer and project manager, having formally worked as Dance Development Manager for Northants Dance and as co-director for Wriggle Dance Theatre.
Anthony Kimber-McTiffen
Anthony is a founding Director of Sonrisa Arts.
Anthony composes music for TV, film, video and theatre.
As a songwriter and composer he has had several publishing and record contracts and was signed to Chrysalis Music for 8 years with UK releases with both Chrysalis Music and Virgin Music. Appeared and performed on numerous music programmes including BBC Def2, Dance Energy, Rock Solid and Art n Soul and has had many radio plays.He has performed in various signed bands covering many styles from Rock, Latin and
Dance undertaking many European & UK Tours and recording many albums.
In 1995 he set up his own music production company and record label AKM Music supplying and producing music for TV and video productions worldwide, undertaking many music commissions from his own music studio and has had numerous scores broadcast on national and international TV networks. AKM Music has now released 220 library albums for media production.
He has given numerous talks and lectures at major media events on the art of film scoring including at London Excel, Earl’s Court, London Olympia and Birmingham NEC.
He has composed and recorded music for many dance companies including Anjali Dance Company, Open House and Being Frank sometimes acting as music director performing live scores.
In 2012 he started to work with Wriggle Dance Theatre composing the music, and also performing in their shows, Once in A Blue Moon and The Colour of Me, both shows toured nationally. Anthony also composed and performed live the music for three shows created for libraries and other non-theatre spaces, Out of this World, Rainbowfish Goes Adrift and Into the Rainbow. He also composed the music score and performed in latest Wriggle show Squidge, which toured the UK in 2022.
Anthony studied flamenco guitar in Sacromonte Granada with Jose Antonio Heredia ‘El Chonico’ and Alfredo Mesa.
Emma Hawkings
Director of Sonrisa Arts
Emma has a wealth of media experience across television broadcast channels, VOD channels, Apps, blue chip brand Digital and Social channels along with Live and As Live broadcasting events and commercials. She has served numerous leadership, strategic and delivery roles in house and agency side.
Emma has experience of leading teams and building digital capability at Disney, Kyra, and most recently Deepop, where she was responsible for delivering culturally relevant
campaigns across CRM, Digital and Social. She has also worked across a broad range of genres covering entertainment, fashion and music, including working within well-known brand digital and social channels. She has been lucky enough to film across the UK and Globally and is based in London
David McKenna
Director of Sonrisa Arts
David has been a professional dancer, choreographer and facilitator for 26 years. He had a professional dancing career performing with Janet smith and Dancers, Motionhouse, Fin Walker, and Earthfall. David set up his own company, Being Frank in 2003 with the aim to give dance opportunities to hard to reach groups. This has taken him around the world working in prisons, hospitals, parks, community centres, village halls, places of worship, arts centres, theatres, a range of different schools and
universities, youth centres, youth offending units and dance schools. His work is creative, participatory, accessible and health orientated. At present, his activities are mostly with children in care but he is also working with special educational needs and facilitating dance sessions for older peoples health and wellbeing throughout the West Midlands area.