Having had a successful year completing two exciting commissions, November has been the first month with no dates in the diary! This can feel like an empty abyss after such an active year. However, with my inability to sit still and do nothing, I have begun to look to the future and plan potential projects for 2016. It has also given me some time to reflect on the past few months and the endless lessons I have learned.

I have loved collaborating with different people this year. Today and I going to meet Nicola to talk about projects for 2016. Here are a few of my thoughts on collaboration based on my experiences this year:

• Collaboration requires you to step into the unknown. Working with Nicola pushed both of us out of our comfort zone, and it was in this vulnerable place that we found something new and exciting.

• Trust, respect and support. When making work with another artist, you have to find a mutual respect for the skills each of you are bringing to the table and trust the ability of that other artist. Supporting each others ideas allows you to move forward as a team

• ‘…You don’t, however, have to agree about everything. Collaboration is sometimes about finding the right way to disagree.’ Jonathan Burrows in his book A Choreographer Handbook.

• Innovation! Collaborating will throw up ideas that you would never have thought of on your own. The scary part of collaborating is allowing yourself to run with these ideas!

• Simplify. Sometimes collaborating is simply working with a friend.

• Patience. Working with another artist takes time to understand each other and unpick a web of ideas. Don’t be disheartened when the first few ideas fall flat. Every idea – rejected or developed- builds towards the final collaborative piece; nothing is wasted and everything teaches you something and moves you forward.

Let’s see what is aded to this list in the next year!