Dr ‘H’ Patten

Dr ‘H’ Patten, Artistic Director of Koromanti Arts and ‘H’ Patten Dance Theatre Company is an experienced choreographer, performer, filmmaker, storyteller, visual artist and author. His international reputation in African and Caribbean arts spans over 35 years.

Winning several awards, including the Jamaican High Commission 50th Anniversary Award for services in Arts, Culture and Entertainment (2012), ‘H’ has worked/researched/trained across Africa and the Caribbean.

Choreographing for the National dance companies of Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Malawi, and Jamaica’s Stella Maris Dance Ensemble, he has worked on major UK productions, including the critically acclaimed ‘Fences’ (2013) starring Lenny Henry.

Gaining his PhD at Canterbury Christ Church University (2019), ‘H’ authored multiple publications, including the ground-breaking - Reading Religion and Spirituality in Jamaican Reggae Dancehall Dance: Spirit Bodies Moving, Routledge (2022).

A (2020) Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF) Scholar, researching British reggae/dancehall dance, ‘H’ is currently a storytelling consultant on the Open University’s DEPA project, and was lead researcher/artistic director for the Salone DEPA storytelling, theatre and film project, as well as on The 10th International Conference of Carnival and Masquerade Arts - Rhythm of a People: Tradition, Connection, Innovation and Decolonisation, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana (2023).