about us

Established in 2021, Aria was founded by Sarah Dobbs who was an aerial hoop artist and author, co-founder of Uncaged Aerial Theatre. The company was a result of a DYCP project in underwater aerial hoop and dance, which then developed into a larger Arts Council project. She completed a commission for Bloomin Arts which was a response to an exploration in outdoor aerial during the pandemic, originating from research with aerialist Sarah Coxon. The resulting film was called Body Song and something about that clicked – a desire to find the song of your body and to help others feel theirs. Since then, our community and practitioners have grown. We have developed partnerships in the UK and abroad, providing opportunities for young people and adults. We are currently exploring augmented reality in outdoor underwater performance, with thanks to funding from Immersive Arts UK. We intend to deepen this practice with a deep-dive into haptic technology and underwater microphones to develop live soundscapes for outdoor shows.

‘Aria, meaning melody’ 

Directors: Sarah Dobbs, Jane Diamond, Cath Nichols

Creative team: Sarah Dobbs, Neil Johnson @mediaratz