I'm Amber, a 22 year old dance artist, activist and writer from Cardiff. I was a student on the full time course at Rubicon from 2015-2017 where I trained extensively, before gaining a place on the degree course at Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) in Leeds. I graduated from NSCD in July 2020 with a First Class Honours and was set to begin my career performing in Europe, however, this was postponed due to COVID and later recast with a European cast due to complications with the new Brexit laws. Consequently, I have been residing at my family home in Cardiff since to navigate the early years of my dance career in Wales and connect more with my Welsh heritage.

By donating to this page, you will be enabling me to my partake in the Rubicon Dance Alumni Intensive that would nurture my dance practice and professional development, through offering me space to create work and classes to keep up my training, whilst networking with other Welsh dance artists. Rubicon has been crucial to my development as an artist and a human, and has consistently welcomed me with open arms and offered me support when I've most needed it. I contracted long COVID last October and am still dealing with some of the after effects of the illness, however Rubicon helped me get back on track both physically through online classes and mentally, through check ins and motivational talks. So this intensive really couldn't have come at a better time, as the sector begins to open up again and opportunities slowly start to increase, and I honestly can't wait to be back. Attending this intensive will be a brilliant way to re-immerse myself into the dance sector and build my confidence and stamina back up after the anxiety-inducing past year we have been through.

Please follow along for my journey and consider donating if you are in a financial position to do so - Rubicon is a life-transforming charity and truly deserves every penny that's donated.

Amber Howells