Sisters Grimm

Sisters Grimm Ltd is a creative production company founded by ex The Royal Ballet|Royal Ballet ballerina Pietra De Mello-Pittman|Pietra Mello-Pittman and painter, music composer and theatre producer Ella Spira in 2009. Celebrating cultures and inclusivity and collaborating with worldwide performance artists, the pair has been producing culturally-themed shows, original music videos garnering millions of views, films, global youth initiatives and immersive exhibitions showcasing the unique beauty of a territory. The company has built up a brand internationally for theatrical productions with live music and dance. The duo have explored the world collaborating with artists like Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Soweto Gospel Choir in South Africa, percussionists Olodum in Brazil and Samurai warriors in Japan.
== History ==
The founders of Sisters Grimm, Ella Spira and Pietra De Mello-Pittman|Pietra Mello-Pittman, have met through a mutual friend in 2008 while working on the 'Reves au Chemin' project for The Royal Ballet. Their common dream of joining different cultures and artistic disciplines, honouring ancestors and celebrating traditions around the world have led to the formation of their company, Sisters Grimm, in 2009. The company's first project, 'Rapunzel – The Final Chapter', was a ballet film partially funded by the Royal Opera House in 2009.
Commemorating 20 years of democracy and freedom in South Africa, Sisters Grimm have launched their first show called 'INALA - A Zulu Ballet' at the Edinburgh International Festival on 10 August 2014 and at London's Sadler's Wells Theatre in September 2014. The concept of 'INALA - A Zulu Ballet' came after 4 years of work and collaboration between the producers of the show, Sisters Grimm, choreographer Mark Baldwin (choreographer)|Mark Baldwin and the South African a cappella ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The theatrical show has brought together ballet, contemporary dance and traditional Zulu tribal dance performed by dancers from The Royal Ballet and Rambert Dance Company. The play's musical score was written by the British composer Ella Spira in collaboration with Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
In 2014 and 2015, 'INALA - A Zulu Ballet' have made an appearance at the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of TRH, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge|The Duke and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge|Duchess of Cambridge. In addition, 'INALA - A Zulu Ballet' have had an international premiere at the Chekhov, Moscow Oblast|Chekhov festival in Moscow in 2015.
In 2015, Ella Spira and Pietra De Mello-Pittman|Pietra Mello-Pittman were both nominated for the Women of the Future Awards in the Arts & Culture category. In 2016, the music from their show 'INALA - A Zulu Ballet' composed by Ella Spira, was Grammy-nominated for Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album|Best World Music Album and the Best Special Entertainment Award at the Manchester Theatre Awards.
Following up their show 'INALA', Sisters Grimm premiered in 2017 a brand new dance musical, 'Voices of the Amazon', played at Sadler's Wells Theatre|Sadlers Wells in London, Russia, Singapore and the Latitude Festival. The show, performed by a group of 14 dancers, singers and musicians, features a mix of ballet, contemporary dance and capoeira, conceived by choreographer Helen Pickett. 'Voices of the Amazon' is a mystical folk tale that presents the story of 'Beleza'. 'Beleza', a water spirit from the Amazon River|Amazon river, begins a journey through the Amazon rainforest|Amazon Forest in search of a remedy to save her dying sister. The story behind 'Voices of the Amazon', supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF and the Eden Project and narrated by the actor Jeremy Irons, highlights the impact of deforestation on rainforest people, animals and plants. With a Brazilian music score created by Ella Spira in collaboration with Brazilian songwriters and the percussionists Olodum, 'Voices of the Amazon' have won the Brazilian International Press Award for Best Show in 2018.
Sisters Grimm's Inala show was relaunched in the UK at the Peacock Theatre in 2019 and in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands, featuring the voices of South African choral ensemble Soweto Gospel Choir and international dancers. The show was also performed at HRH Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex|Prince Harry's Hampton Court Palace Sentebale Concert in June and at Royal Albert Hall|The Royal Albert Hall in October, to celebrate World Ballet Day and Black History Month. For the Royal Albert Hall performance, the producers started a partnership with the Mosaic Initiative at The Prince's Trust to offer 1000 free of charge tickets to young people from a diverse range of backgrounds across London. The participants of the INALA Schools Programme have been invited to a pre-show experience to learn about the career opportunities within the theatre industry and to gain insights into every stage of the creative process.
In the year 2020, Sisters Grimm has released 5 music videos for their new Arab World Show: ‘Just Saying Hi’, ‘Together Let Go’, ‘The Way Home’, ‘Between the Stars’, and ‘United’. The music videos gathered over 5 million views on YouTube. 'Together Let Go' is a musical collaboration celebrating foreign talent from five continents, including Joseph Shabalala from South Africa, Siori Tanabe from Japan and Dito Martins from Brazil. Co-written by Ella Spira and DB Gad, featuring the voice of Madyan Hamza and Arqam Al Abri, the song and music video have been launched for World Water Day on the 21st of June 2020, celebrating inclusivity and the unity of diverse cultures through music. The song, 'United', has been released for National Day (United Arab Emirates)|UAE National Day to celebrate the deep history of the seven United Arab Emirates. The music video features original paintings and Sisters Grimm's artistic expression to acknowledge the natural beauty of the Emirates. Inspired by the travels of Sisters Grimm's founders across the seven Emirates, the song 'United' was co-written by Ella Spira and DB Gad, featuring the vocals of Maydan Hamza, Don Abdullah, Shamma Hamdan and DB Gad.
In 2021, Pietra De Mello-Pittman and Ella Spira, the founders of Sisters Grimm, have been awarded Order of the British Empire|‘Member of the Order of the British Empire’ (MBE) for services to International Trade and the Creative Industry in the 2021 New Year Honours|New Year Honours lists. The award represents a recognition of 11 years of achievements and dedication to bringing worldwide talent together by promoting culture and inclusivity.
In the same year, the production company have launched the "Art in Nature" Initiative in the United Arab Emirates|UAE, encouraging all children between 5 and 18 years old to embrace the natural beauty of their country by engaging with nature and creating a unique piece of art for a chance to appear in the Sisters Grimm's next animated music video. The 'UAE Art In Nature' project, supported by Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority, have received more than 1,000 submissions from 100 schools in the UAE. On 3 March 2021, for World Wildlife Day, the music video 'Windows of the Mind' has been released, showcasing the winning artworks of young people throughout the emirates. The 'Windows of the Mind' music video, featuring singers Madyan Hamza and DB Gad , co-written by Ella Spira and DB Gad, has reached over 3.5 million views on YouTube.
At the end of March 2021, Sisters Grimm has announced the '50 for 50' art auction and their first NFT drop, marking the country's Golden Jubilee Year. '50 For 50' is a collection of 50 UAE landscape art pieces created by artist Ella Spira during her travels across the UAE to celebrate the unique diversity and beauty of the seven Emirates. The production company has declared that the proceeds from the art auction and NFT drop will fund new youth art initiatives and a Performing Arts Programme in the region. One month later, in May 2021, Sisters Grimm has launched the 'Art of Practice' Program for those under 18. The artistic training program has been included in the UAE'e schools curriculum, contributing to the country's creative industry growth. The Performing Arts Training Programme was closely related to the launch of a new tactical program to increase the number of creative businesses, designed and implemented by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum|His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Between 29 November - 14 December 2021, Dubai Opera has hosted a multi-sensory theatrical experience and immersive art exhibition called '50 For 50'. The audiovisual journey was produced by Sisters Grimm, commemorating the UAE's Golden jubilee|Golden Jubilee. The show has unveiled a collection of 50 art pieces painted by Ella Spira in honour of the UAE's natural beauty and to draw awareness to environmental issues and to inspire nature conservation. '50 For 50' stages a mix of art and music inspired by creatures unique to the region, with every painting showcasing a distinctive score composed by Ella Spira and Emirati collaborators Db Gad, Don Abdullah and Shamma Hamdan. The multimedia show culminates with the world debut of the Sisters Grimm's film 'Daughters of the Wind Overture', with The Royal Ballet|Royal Ballet ballerina Pietra De Mello-Pittman as the main protagonist and singers DB Gad and Madyan Hamza. The 'Daughters of the Wind Overture' film screening, directed by Jhenyfy Muller and inspired by the Stephen Powell's story, portrays the tale of a land that has been radically transformed by the industry and inspires a spirit of community, encouraging people to stand together despite their differences.
The year 2022 has begun with the release of a new single and music video, called 'See Beyond', on 19 January, in collaboration with Muslim hip-hop and rap artist DB Gad. Recorded and produced in Sisters Grimm's studio in Dubai and co-written by DB Gad and Ella Spira, 'See Beyond' was created as a result of the artists' desire to bridge the Western and Arabic music and break down barriers around cultural conflicts. The song is a fusion of classical music and hip hop, composed by two artists with different backgrounds, a celebration of cultural differences and a reflection of the ‘Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement|Abraham Accords’, according to Ella Spira. The music video of 'See Beyond' is an excerpt from their film 'Daughters of the Wind', Act 2 of the '50 For 50' exhibition, and it describes the story of an Emirati Woman surrounded by nature in a progressive city, with people of diverse cultures embracing collaboration and acting as a community.
In February 2022, the 'Art in Nature' Program was launched in Australia, encouraging all children under 18 to connect with their natural surroundings and create an art piece that represents their experience with nature. All children who took part in the 'Australia Art in Nature' Initiative have received a signed certificate of participation and have had their artwork displayed in an online gallery. The program has been commissioned by Science and Technology Facilities Council and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Space UK/Australia AgroClimate Space Programme, which contributed to the project by providing imaginary and educational information on the consequences of climate change on the environment. At the end of the program, Sisters Grimm has launched 'Life', an animated music video made up of only winning artworks from young people across Australia, for World Water Day, on the 22nd of March. The song 'Life' was composed by Ella Spira and Australian singer-songwriter Corinne Gibbons featuring aboriginal elder and activist Ossie Cruse|Uncle Ozzy (Oswald Cruse).
== Productions ==
* Rapunzel – The Final Chapter (2009): short ballet film co-produced with the Royal Opera House.
* Inala (2014 and 2019): a celebration of modern South Africa, meaning‘abundance of goodwill’ in Zulu language.
* Voices of the Amazon (2017): dance musical, set amidst the landscape of the Amazon rainforest.
* Daughters of the Wind Overture (2021): Arabian Peninsular dance musical for the first time bringing together song, ballet and art and celebrating Arab culture.
== Music Videos ==
* Together Let Go (2020). Co-composed by Ella Spira and DB Gad; Lead vocals of Madyan Hamza and Arqam Al Abri; Sisters Grimm production.
* Been El Nogoom - Between The Stars (2020). Co-composed by Ella Spira and DB Gad; Sisters Grimm production.
* The Way Home (2020). Co-composed by Ella Spira and DB Gad; Lead vocals of Arqam Al-Abri and Layla Kardan; Sisters Grimm production; Filmed at Dubai Opera.
* United (2020). Co-composed by Ella Spira and DB Gad; Lead vocals of Shamma Hamdan, Maydan Hamza, Don Abdullah and DB Gad; Sisters Grimm production.
* Windows of the Mind (2021). Co-composed by Ella Spira and DB Gad; Lead vocals of DB Gad and Madyan Hamza singing in English and Arabic; Sisters Grimm production.
* See Beyond (2022). Co-composed by Ella Spira and DB Gad; Lead vocals of rapper DB Gad and Madyan Hamza; Sisters Grimm production.
* Life (2022). Co-composed by Ella Spira and Corinne Gibbons; Lead vocals of Corinne Gibbons featuring Ossie Cruse; Sisters Grimm production.
== Awards ==
=== Inala ===
2016 Grammy Awards nominated - Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album.
2016 Manchester Theatre Awards nominated - Best special entertainment.
=== Voices of the Amazon ===
2017 Brazilian International Press Awards Winner - Best Show 2017.
2017 Brazilian International Press Awards nominated - Best Director, Pietra Mello-Pittman
Category:Production companies