In 2026, spoken word artist Jasmine Gardosi and dance company Ascension began an exciting collaboration with the MultiLX research team to create new artistic works inspired by our findings around multilingualism and communication across Europe. Through this commission, artists and researchers are working together closely, with the artists responding to MultiLX research through their own distinctive approaches to language, movement and expression. Researchers at the University of Warwick are documenting this collaborative process, attending rehearsals, contributing to creative development sessions and recording reflections. Through this process, we are exploring how artists and researchers work together, how creative practice can offer new ways of understanding and communicating research, and how arts-based approaches can be combined with linguistic ethnography. The commissioned works will be presented at a series of MultiLX events across and beyond Europe, bringing the project to diverse audiences through performance and creative expression.
Ascension Dance: Ashley Jordan, Sophie Page and Lila Naruse.
Ascension Dance is both a dance studio and performance company who bring extensive experience of contemporary dance, trampolining and parkour to create a unique hybrid of movement styles. The company is committed to hiring young people through dance and creative expression. Ashley Jordan, the company director, was nominated for the Rising Star award at the Coventry and Warwickshire Tourism and Culture Awards 2017. Having previous training in parkour, freerunning and gymnastics, Ashley is keen to explore how these disciplines can be combined with dance to create choreography. He is passionate about extending dance opportunities to young people, particularly in nurturing an interest for dance in boys and young men. Sophie Page is a freelance dance artist based in the UK and performing across Europe. She is known for combining somatic practice, improvisation, acrobatics and floor work. Lila Naruse is a versatile contemporary dance artist whose work blends expressive movement, multimedia collaboration and a deep engagement with social and environmental themes.
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Jasmine Gardosi
Jasmine Gardosi is Birmingham Poet Laureate 2022-2024, and an Honorary Doctor of Letters. They are a multiple slam champion, beatboxer, winner of the Out-Spoken Prize for Poetry and winner of the Saboteur Award for Best Spoken Word Performer 2023. Their work exploring beatbox poetry, neurodivergence, LGBTQ identity and mental health has appeared on Button Poetry, at the Tate Modern, Glastonbury Festival, Symphony Hall, BBC and Sky Arts. Their poem about the pandemic, filmed on a rollercoaster, was broadcast across America on PBS. Their debut solo single about sexuality ,‘Dancing To Music You Hate’, fuses Celtic Dubstep and spoken word.
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