Ella Spira

In 2008, Spira was nominated for the Channel 4 Talented Newcomers Award for production music, partly as a result of her achievements as a UK delegate for a European Arts Initiative sponsored by the British Council. A year later, she was commissioned to write a series of pieces for the BAFTA/Rocliffe New Writers’ Forum for the 2009 International Screenwriters' Festival.[4] In the same year, Spira co-founded dance production company Sisters Grimm with Royal Ballet dancer Pietra Mello-Pittman.[5]

Spira has created film scores, dance compositions for The Royal Ballet and made remixes for Bruno Mars, McFly, Jay Sean, Alesha Dixon and Nelly. Between 2010 and 2014, she has collaborated with South African choir Ladysmith Black Mambazo[6] and Mark Baldwin, artistic director of Rambert Dance Company, for the dance work Inala premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival on 10 August 2014 and at London's Sadler's Wells Theatre in September 2014. Spira was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 2016 for the album 'Songs from INALA' - a Zulu ballet.[7]

Following her previous success with Inala, Ella Spira has written the musical score of a new show called Voices of the Amazon, inspired by the Amazon rainforest, where her partner, and co-founder of Sisters Grimm, Pietra Mello-Pittman, was born. Voices of the Amazon premiered in July 2017 at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London,[8] followed by Russia and Singapore. Spira has written the musical composition in collaboration with other Brazilian songwriters and world-renowned percussionists Olodum. The dance musical was directed by Pietra Mello-Pittman, choreographed by Helen Pickett and performed by some exceptionally talented dancers, singers and musicians from Brazil. With Jeremy Irons as a narrator,[9] the show won the Brazilian International Press Award Best Show.

In 2020, Ella composed and released 5 music videos for Sisters Grimm new Arab World Show with over 8.5 million YouTube views, including over 1 million views for "Together Let Go" and over 3 million views for the UAE National Day release United. Spira co-wrote the song "Together Let Go" with the help of rapper DB Gad and Papon,[10] featuring vocals of Madyan Hamza and Arqam Al Abri. The music video was directed by Shantanu Suri from UAE and was released on World Music Day on 21 June, celebrating cultures and inclusivity. The song and music video United was inspired by seven Emirates-wide travels of Sisters Grimm's founders. Spira composed the song with DB Gad and Don Abdullah, featuring vocals of Shamma Hamdan, Don Abdullah (Abdullah Andeezn), Maydan Hamza and DB Gad. One year later, marking World Wildlife Day 2021, the new music video and song Windows of the Mind was released. Co-written and composed by Ella Spira MBE in collaboration with DB Gad and featuring the vocals of Madyan Hamza and DB Gad, the music video was produced by Sisters Grimm. The purpose of the project was to encourage the children from UAE to connect with nature, be environmentally conscious and giving them a chance to get involved in the 'Art in Nature' Initiative. With more than 1,000 artistic submissions used in the music video Windows of the Mind', the digital programme was supported by Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority.[11]

In the 2021 New Year Honours lists, Spira has been awarded an MBE for her services to International Trade and the Creative Industry as co-founder of the production company Sisters Grimm.[12][13]

In October 2021, Ella's landscape painting ‘Shala River’ was gifted by Alastair King-Smith, the British Ambassador to Albania, to Edi Rama, the Prime Minister of Albania, celebrating 100 years of friendship between the two countries. Spira painted the ‘Shala River’ in the Albanian Alps to capture the beauty of Albania's nature, providing a new environment to discuss international political relations.[14][15]

In the same year, Sisters Grimm co-founder Ella Spira auctioned off a collection of 50 UAE landscape paintings, named 50 for 50,[16] marking the UAE's golden jubilee,[17] showcasing the paintings she created on her travels across the UAE.[18][19] The 50 for 50 UAE series, unveiled at Dubai Opera between 29 November -14 December 2021, was presented as a theatrical spectacle featuring ballet dance, music, and live singing.[20] The live spectacle, named ‘Daughters of the Wind Overture’,[21] was produced by Sisters Grimm and featured co-founder and former ballerina with The Royal Ballet Pietra Mello-Pittman as the performing protagonist. Singers Madyan Hamza and DB Gad joined the show with soaring vocals and creative lyrical writing.[22][23] The 50 for 50 multi-sensory exhibition by Ella Spira was a celebration of the UAE's rich history, unique achievements and natural beauty.[24] Besides showcasing a range of immersive paintings that engaged the senses through sight and sounds of creatures unique to the region blended into a musical composition, the exhibition has also promoted environmental awareness and sustainability. Every painting was accompanied by an original score which Ella has also written. Through the use of these multi-sensory elements, the exhibition aimed to inspire visitors to take action and make positive changes in their own lives and communities to protect and preserve an environment drastically transformed by industry.[25][26]

In January 2022, Ella Spira collaborated with the Muslim hip-hop and rap artist, DB Gad, to co-write and compose the song 'See Beyond', a music production by Sisters Grimm. The song and music video 'See Beyond' celebrates diversity and peaceful co-existence by accepting everyone’s individuality.[27][28]

A few months later, Ella Spira co-wrote and composed a new song, 'Life', in partnership with Australian singer and artist Corinne Gibbons, featuring aboriginal elder and activist Oswald Cruse MBE. The music video, released on the 22nd of March 2022, was part of Sisters Grimm's art project for children under 18, 'Australia Art in Nature'. [29][30][31]

Ella Spira's painting titled "Pietra in Bogor, Java" was sold at the end of July 2022 for £250,000 to Jack Tao, a Singapore-based Web3/ Metaverse investor and entrepreneur, adding to their growing landscape portfolio. The art piece depicts a banyan tree on the island of Java that occupies a special place in the gardens of Bogor. The intimate painting captures a deep calm that surrounds Ella's friend, Pietra, as she sits at the foot of the tree.[32] The addition of this painting to their collection has brought the value of their landscape portfolio to just shy of £15 million.[33]

Between 3rd November - 5th November 2022, the Global Landscapes Singapore immersive multimedia exhibition took place at the Art Now Gallery in the Raffles Hotel Arcade, celebrating the richness of life in and around the island through the artwork of Ella Spira MBE.[34] The art display featured six individual paintings, a series of charcoals by Spira, known for her vibrant and expressive style, and intimate photographs taken by Singaporean photographer Rebecca Toh, documenting Ella's artistic practice.[35][36] A new song and music video called What Is It Like To Be You, with an evocative score composed by Spira, which featured Singaporean cellist Olivia Chuang and incorporated Singapore thunderstorms and the sound of Toh's camera clicks, was also featured as part of the multi-sensory event.[37] The works on display explored the diverse cultures and landscapes of Singapore, showcasing the island's appreciation for natural resources through multimedia elements such as soundscapes, and interactive installations.[38] The exhibition was a major success, attracting hundreds of visitors and receiving critical acclaim for its innovative approach to showcasing the artwork and photographs of Spira and Toh.[39][40][41][42][43]

• Official website
• Sisters Grimm co-founder