About
Tradamis
Tradamis was founded in 2002 to exploit with the work that was in
prospect from the newly formed Slough Creative Partnership and we
delivered three major projects for 5 schools using 10 different
practitioners to a value of about £7500. Since then our work
has developed to not only include more project work but single days
teaching of specific modules including many for special needs,
teacher training, the production of resources, profile raising
events at museums, art galleries and festivals.
The organisation was originally 5 freelance practitioners and with a
few changes in personnel it has stayed the same size but with a far
wider network of individuals to call on for different events.
The second phase of our existence involved the conversion to a
Registered Charity, the creation of our first web site and our
establishment as the place to come to for anything to do with
Maypoles.
Our
Objective is now defined to the Charity Commission as follows
To promote the education of children and young people
by the provision of services, resources and equipment to enhance
their knowledge, appreciation and understanding of English
Traditional music, dance and cultural issues.
And in the same document our activities are outlined as
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The provision of teaching and resources to schools
through teaching sessions, workshops, concerts and possibly
residencies. The creation and publication of resources to
supplement this work. The provision of events for young people and
community groups
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The teaching to look at traditional, cultural and
vernacular arts, our living heritage and its links to historical
events and related recreational activities.
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The provision of specialist teachers and resources to
other organisations for major projects that they are running
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The involvement of freelance practitioners and other
organisations in our own projects
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 Our Director
Mike Ruff, has
been the driving force behind Tradamis since its inception.
His background is as a dancer, caller and multi instrumentalist and
still attempts to have a separate career as a performer. He
currently dances with St Albans Morris, Nonsuch History & Dance and
runs at least 3 bands, Quicksilver, Lavender Village Band and Null
Nomine Daunce.
The inspiration behind his work in education has been the idea of putting our wonderful traditional heritage into
its proper context and maximising the enjoyment that can bring.
Visit
Mike's Web Site
 Penny
Brookman
L.I.S.T.D.Dip, MA.PA, PGCE. has, for
more than thirty years, taught and performed a broad range of dance
styles. In addition to her professional Ballet and Theatre dance
qualifications she holds an MA in Performing Arts and has worked
extensively with T.A.P.S, as a teacher and performer in
multi-cultural and inter-disciplinary projects and also with
Kintbury May Maids Morris, Reading Cloggies, Tanglefoot, and ISIS
clog and step dancers. She has taken Morris and traditional dance
around the world, including Europe, America and Japan, as Foreman of
Kintbury Morris, as well as appearing on the BBC programme of Folk
dance for schools, and in venues as diverse as the New Forest show,
and the Festival Hall.
Penny has worked as an artist in residence, and
taught children with learning and behavioural difficulties, as well
as hearing impaired and physically challenged students, including
work for Mencap.
Penny has current experience of teaching a range of
Gcse, AS/A2, and Btec performance courses, as well as running a
traditional mayday event for more than twenty five years, and has
taught all ages from 3yrs to 90yrs!
 Penny Pinder
has been
performing English folk dance, including Morris dance, since her own
schooldays. She has many years' experience of teaching Cotswold
Morris, to both experienced and novice adults and to children of all
ages. She has been Foreman of Hurst Morris and Windsor
Morris, with these groups Penny has choreographed, stage-managed and
performed shows of Cotswold Morris for national and international
festivals, and even the occasional TV show!
 Anne Garrison is a qualified
teacher of movement and dance, training at Worcester College of
Higher Education in the 1970s. After
leaving college she was a member of the Instep Dance
Group based at Dunfermline College of PE Edinburgh, performing and
teaching dance in schools.
In
1993 she joined Reading Traditional & Step Dance Group and was
involved with running their very successful clog & step dance
festivals, after the closure of the Cloggies she was a founder
member and is now leader of Aldbrickham Clog & Step Dancers. Anne has
worked on dance & drama projects.
 Diana Campbell-Jewitt
has been teaching traditional styles of dance since she was a
teenager and has recently become free lance after working for 12
years as National Education Manager for the EFDSS. She is a
qualified school teacher with a degree in History and Literature and
a Masters Degree in Cultural Studies. She is an author / editor of
many resource books, for use in schools, including, books on
Longsword Dance’, ‘Understanding Victorian Society through Dance’, a
collection of children’s games including skipping traditions,
‘Dancing; Round the Maypole’ and ‘Traditional British and Other
Dances’. Diana is keen to introduce the dance, song and games
traditions of the British Isles to a wider audience.
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