I have been working in early years since my teens, where I began as a practitioner in pre-schools. I felt an instant sense of ‘coming home’ when working with children, but believed there were limited career opportunities for early childhood care and education at that time and so, followed my second calling, for dance.
Years later, in 2009, as an established Community Dance Artist, I dovetailed these two passions and began specialising in early years and movement work. I was fortunate to find immersion as an Artist in Residence on Take Art's Little Big Bang project and made a non-verbal piece, Favourite Strings, which toured as part of the Kindergardens Festival. Following that, I undertook several post-graduate courses in Early Years and began lecturing. I worked for various companies, including Polka Theatre, where I was immersed in creativity for and with children.
In recent years, I have woven a third strand into my practice, a deep connection with nature and sustainability, which solidified five years ago. For me, sustainability is about living as much in harmony with nature as one can, seeking not just minimal impact, but positive impact, if that’s possible. I became intrigued by the possibilities for this in my lifestyle and in 2018, feeling a sense of detachment from my body and creativity. I moved into an off-grid home and small holding and quietly took a sabbatical from my creative work.
I had a health diagnosis that year, which confirmed my depleting energies and creativity, and I spent several years waiting for major surgery. During this time, I found a deep restoration from connecting with the small holding and when the pandemic began, became a part-time gardener, thriving in the mindful art of gardening. At the same time, with vast supplies of willow in the garden, I became captivated in long winters evenings, by willow's prolific play and practical potential, particularly the act of weaving. I felt I wasn’t dancing any more, but looking back, there was a rhythm to the weave, a soothing, repetitive motion with the upper body and hands. I could almost feel the history of how willow weavers found uses for this incredible material, in this surprising intuitive process. Overall, I felt a deep connection to my local environment and struggled to be away from the garden, the source of my willow and connection to nature. I remember on one dance project away from home taking huge bundles of willow, weaving on the train and soaking the willow in a hotel bath each evening!
Now in 2023, my latest project, Early Weaves, is a re-entry into the creative field. Post-pandemic, surgery and the significant life change in off-grid living, I have created a dance-theatre piece, with an incredible team, that brings together my interest in the environment and sustainability, with the imagination and creativity. Early Weaves, playable indoors or outdoors, both in theatre and non-theatre settings, traces the journey of two characters, Willow and Weave, the meeting of their two worlds, and the highs and lows as they become friends and adventure together. It uses a fully-compostable, carbon-sink* set design and props, made entirely from willow.
Early Weaves builds on extensive participation with early years children & families and a long legacy of exploring non-prescriptive materials in movement play with children. When the idea was born, I had scarcely used willow with children, but in my own play with it, felt it had vast scope for a performance for young audiences. I began to introduce homemade willow claves (chopped up willow ends that make a pleasant sound) and baskets into workshops. In conversation with Del Taylor (a multi-faceted applied artist whom I had previously work with at Polka Theatre) we decided to collaborate. We were both immediately excited by the possibilities for willow and in playing together, came up with the key words; poke, tie, weave, scratch, shake, snip, build, bundle, hook, whip, bend and circle. We received funding from Take Art’s BARN Growth fund, to explore willow play with children in pre-schools and in these workshops, the notions of fishing rods, boats and transporting (particularly with baskets) were solidified.
In Spring 2022, with the support of Arts Council, The ELM Grant Trust, Golsoncott Foundation and Take Art, we built a team to make the show. We sought to involve the voices of children throughout the devising process, through workshops, sharings and play, whilst the dancers, Leela Bunce and Takeshi Matsumoto, sensitively and skilfully brought the children's play and ideas to life in their beautiful performance and playful response to the material.
We ambitiously aimed for the set to fit into a standard car, and so Del worked with Serena De la Hey, an experienced Willow Maker and a Teaching Assistant at the local school, to create a sensitive and playful design, that would inspire movement. The set consisted of three rounded willow panels, with circular windows and wiggly wave shaped tops. We took inspiration from natural building designs, many of which are circular, and circles became prominent within the piece, choosing a circular thrust set up. The screens are moveable throughout the piece, initially creating an enclosed round house for one of the characters, later becoming a boat, a stage and eventually, a curved play space for the audience.
Gina Westbrook and Mark Helyar our project mentors and dramaturgs, have been pillars of experience and strength throughout, like the willow uprights, especially during inevitable moments of doubt or despondency. Sarah Barnard, our local community champion has welcomed and hosted families at sharings and Richard Tomlinson, an early years specialist, has skilfully composed this stunning film:
OpenWeave.mov from Richard Tomlinson on Vimeo
Sustainability and ecology have been integral throughout this project. As well as mitigating our climate impact, minimising travel and exploring mindful, creative and imaginative play with natural materials, we have sought to raise awareness of an ancient local (to Somerset) material and craft. Willow, a perennial resource, can be coppiced annually and replenished to the same height within a year. Hence willow work sequesters carbon & the set is a carbon sink*. The props, mostly from pieces that my family and I have created will continue to have long lives back in our home.
Now comes the difficult bit. How do we begin to create a tour that has minimal environmental impact? I have contemplated this for some time and concluded that staying as local as possible is our best option, but is that financially viable? The experience within the team is vital here and I am working with Gina and Mark to map out the next steps, which will likely involve applying for more funding and working with a producer to get the show out.
I await the next stage with anticipation….
You can contact Hannah about Early Weaves at Hannah
*A carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases – for example, plants, the ocean and soil. In contrast, a carbon source is anything that releases more carbon into the atmosphere than it absorbs – for example, the burning of fossil fuels or volcanic eruptions.
Image credits: Hannah Lefeuvre headshot - credit Patch Tucker and Early Weaves rehearsal images - credit Early Weaves rehearsal team.
Hannah Lefeuvre (MA, EYPS, PGCAP, FHEA) biography
Hannah is an independent early years creative specialist, consultant and practitioner, with rich experience of engaging with UK Early Years settings, ranging from all forms of early years provision to cultural and community venues.
She was Community Engagement Manager, Participation Officer and Early Years Artist at Polka Theatre (2014-16) and lecturer in Early Childhood at Canterbury Christchurch (2016-19).
She has travelled abroad to gain inspiration and exchange with other artists exploring early years work, in Europe, India and Egypt. She now finds inspiration more locally and is most at home on the floor with children and families.
She strives to keep face-to-face contact with children at some point during each working week. Current projects include: working with Salisbury District hospital working responsively with patients at bedsides, working as an artist on Take Art's Making and Believing Project and facilitation on the Artist's Lab, as part of the Little Big Dance Project.