Simone Kenyon is a performer, artist and producer born in Bradford, West Yorkshire. [1] She works extensively with walking, and in collaboration with other artists and dancers. In 2006, with the dancer Tamara Ashley, she made 'The Pennine Way: The Legs that Make Us', a durational art project in the form of a walk, [2] creating a performance lecture about the project for ROAM a weekend of walking at Loughborough University in 2008, [3] and a book published by Brief Magnetics in 2007. [4] With Andrew Brown and Katie Doubleday she instigated the 'Open City' project in 2006, exploring the organisation and control of behaviour in the public realm. [5] Kenyon worked with Deveron Arts in Huntly, Aberdeenshire on the founding of their "Walking Institute" [6] and completed a commission 'Hielan' Ways' - a long distance walk in the Cairngorms in 2013-14. [7] She has also completed walking-based work Step by Step, 2013 for Dance4 in collaboration with Neil Callaghan. [8] Kenyon is connected with the Walking Artists Network. [9]
Into the Mountain (2019) took place in the Cairgorm mountains in Scotland. Produced by the Scottish Sculpture Workshop, audiences undertook walks through the landscape encountering dancers on the route. [10] The project was inspired by the writings of Nan Shepherd and celebrates women's relationships with high and wild places. [11]