About Us
Founded in 2020, Pelican Theatre began as a collaboration between Pagan Hunt and Ellie Bates, who share a playful, ambitious, and intention-driven approach to creating work.
In our 5 years, we have delivered a variety of dance projects across the North East, spanning outdoor, dance film, community, and professional dance theatre performances.
Meet the Pelicans
Ellie Bates
Co-Founder and Community Lead
Ellie grew up in Cheshire before studying in London, and is now based in the North East. She started her dancing career at Louise Carter’s School of Dance in Congleton where she found her love of performing, before joining Homegrown Youth Dance Company and discovering contemporary dance. Alongside this, she was part of The Lowry’s CAT scheme in Manchester, and all of this lead to her passion for access to contemporary dance in youth settings.
Ellie enjoys working with a range of art forms - including dance, theatre, photography and textiles. Some of the performance experiences that have most influenced her include ‘The Seagull(s)’ by Lost Dog, ‘Midwinter Magic’ by Motionhouse Dance Theatre, ‘Sacred Myths’ by Tanusree Shankar and Protima Chatterjee and ‘Busby’ by Roisin Whelan.
Ellie is passionate about working with children and young people, is keen to assist those interested in dance to find their own passion and always strives to keep mental wellbeing at the heart of her practice.
Ellie enjoys meetings new people, being in the countryside and spending time with dogs!
Pagan Hunt
Co-Founder and Creative Lead
Pagan is a freelance dance artist from Shropshire, now based in Gateshead, whose practice includes performing, choreographing, writing, and facilitation.
She has performed nationally and internationally with Desi Nach Event Entertainment since 2014, and recently joined the show Spark! with Worldbeaters Music as an LED drummer. She has collaborated with makers on R&D and performances projects, including Fertile Ground, Jamaal Burkmar, Bamboozle Theatre, Roisin Whelan, Northern Dance, EQ Dance Company, Lucie Labadie and Douglas Thorpe/Mad Dogs Dance Theatre. In 2024 she launched a digital magazine about dance in the North East called COMMOTION.
Pagan enjoys reading, bouldering, and spending time with her two cats Goose and Binky.
We first met during our training at Trinity Laban, before living and training together on the 2019/20 MA at Dance City Newcastle. During this time we developed our physical theatre skills, and worked on projects with Lost Dog, Gecko Theatre, and David Lloyd.
Realising we had a complementary approach to creating, we decided to continue working together. We have similar goals in both art and life, and as good friends we continue to collaborate, contributing to the vibrant North East dance community.