Lauren Payne – Independent Artist
Dancer, Performer and Creator
Lauren Payne is a professional dance artist, performer and co-creator with Anjali Dance Company.
Lauren has developed a professional career as a learning-disabled dancer, performing nationally and internationally and working with leading choreographers and artists. Alongside her work as an Anjali company dancer, Lauren has developed her own creative voice through solo performance, collaborative projects and participatory work.
In 2026, Lauren is co-creating and performing 49 Trees, a new outdoor work by Anjali Dance Company. The project represents an important development in Lauren’s practice, giving her the opportunity to contribute creatively to the development of a new professional production as well as performing in it.
49 Trees
49 Trees is an outdoor duet inspired by the Sycamore Gap Tree, its felling and the powerful way its story continues to bring people together. The work explores loss, change, connection and renewal, asking how something that is no longer there can continue to inspire new growth and new possibilities.
Lauren co-created and performs the work alongside Frank Hickman, with choreography by Siobhan Hayes. As a co-creator, Lauren has been actively involved in shaping the work, bringing her own ideas, experiences and creative responses into the development process. This has given her the opportunity to make artistic choices, respond to other artists and take greater ownership of a professional production.
The production is led by a majority-collective of disabled and neurodivergent creatives, placing the experiences, ideas and contributions of disabled artists at the heart of the work. Developed specifically for outdoor spaces, 49 Trees is designed to connect with audiences of all ages, with its themes providing a starting point for reflection on our relationships with nature, loss and one another.
For Lauren, 49 Trees represents an important step in her development from performer towards a more active creative role. It builds on her experience with Anjali while giving her the opportunity to develop her confidence as a co-creator and contribute her own voice to the making of new work.
The next stage of 49 Trees will see the work develop towards touring, bringing the production to new outdoor spaces and audiences. This will give Lauren further opportunities to perform, develop her creative practice and continue building her experience as a co-creator and professional artist.
Creative team
Choreographer: Siobhan Hayes
Co-created and performed by: Lauren Payne and Frank Hickman
Produced by: Anjali Dance Company
Set Design: Big House Events
Composer: Otis Jones
Spoken Word: Belinda Zhawi
Creative Advisors: Sara Macqueen and Sho Shibata
The project also includes a dedicated audience engagement team, creating opportunities for audiences to connect with the themes and ideas of the work beyond the performance itself.
Lauren Payne performing 49T at Croome Court, National Trust.
Photo by Elly Welford
Lauren Payne & Frank Hickman performing 49T at Croome Court, National Trust.
Photo by Elly Welford
Lauren Payne & Frank Hickman rehearsing 49T at Wild Rumpus.
Lauren Payne and Beatrice Perini, delivering a Team Teaching Workshop.
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Sharing Dance with Audiences
Lauren’s work also extends beyond the stage. As part of Anjali’s wider outreach and engagement activity, she has developed her skills as a team teacher, working alongside other artists to deliver workshops and participatory projects.
Over her time with Anjali, Lauren has developed her confidence and experience in sharing her skills as a professional dancer, using her own experience to encourage participants to explore movement and creativity in their own way.
Her work as a team teacher is an important part of Lauren’s wider practice, reflecting Anjali’s belief that professional learning-disabled dancers can also be teachers, role models and advocates for greater access to the arts.
International Experience
Lauren’s career with Anjali has also provided opportunities to work internationally and to take part in creative exchange with artists from other countries.
She was involved in El Movimiento, an international collaboration between Anjali and DaDa/DaDance artists in Mexico and Peru. The project brought learning-disabled dancers together across international borders to develop new dance work for camera.
International Exchange: com.dance, Germany
Through Anjali’s partnership with com.dance in Freiburg, Germany, Lauren has taken part in international workshops, residencies and creative exchanges with learning-disabled artists.
As part of the Cultural Bridge programme, Lauren travelled to Freiburg to work alongside com.dance dancers, sharing ideas, developing movement and exploring how dance can connect people across language and cultural differences. The exchange continued through a residency at De Montfort University, where artists from both companies came together to develop and share new work. The work was performed as part of the Hijinx Festival in Cardiff in 2026.
For Lauren, the exchange has been an opportunity to experience different approaches to dance, build relationships with artists from another country and contribute her own ideas to a collaborative creative process. It has also strengthened her experience and confidence as an international artist and performer.
International exchange remains an important part of Anjali’s work, providing artists such as Lauren with opportunities to develop their experience and make connections beyond the UK.
Lauren Payne performing at Hijinx Festival, 2026.
Photo by: kirsten Mcternan
Lauren Payne performing at Hijinx Festival, 2026.
Photo by: kirsten Mcternan
Lauren Payne, speaking about her career with Anjali at Culture for Change, 2024.
Picture with Nick McKerrow, Alex Henwood-Martin and Lewis Gardner.
Looking Ahead
Lauren continues to develop her career as a professional dancer while expanding her practice as a co-creator, collaborator and team teacher.
The development and touring of 49 Trees provides an important next step in Lauren’s artistic journey, giving her further opportunities to contribute creatively, perform for new audiences and develop her confidence in making artistic decisions.
Alongside 49 Trees, Lauren continues to build on the skills she has developed through Anjali’s outreach and engagement work, including her experience as a team teacher. Her international exchange with com.dance in Germany has also given her opportunities to work with artists from another cultural context and develop her experience as an international performer and collaborator.
Together, these experiences are helping Lauren to develop a broader independent practice that extends beyond performance. Anjali is committed to supporting her continued development and creating opportunities for Lauren to contribute her own ideas, take creative ownership and progress as an artist.
Want to Get Involved?
We are interested in connecting Lauren with people and organisations who want to support, develop or collaborate with learning-disabled artists.
We welcome enquiries from funders, producers, venues, artists, creative collaborators, organisations, commissioners, partners, educators, community organisations and anyone interested in Lauren’s work.
If you would like to explore 49 Trees, discuss performance or touring opportunities, develop a creative collaboration, support Lauren’s artistic development, or explore opportunities for Lauren to contribute to workshops, events or community projects, we would love to hear from you.
Get in touch: info@anjali.co.uk
Photo by Elly Welford