Sadler’s Wells has announced the 21 UK-based dance professionals to have gained a place on its Summer University, the second cohort of participants over the next four years.
Directed by Jonathan Burrows in collaboration with Eva Martinez, Artistic Programmer for Sadler’s Wells, the project first ran between 2011 and 2014, supporting 15 dance artists from a wide range of dance styles and practices, funded by Jerwood Charitable Foundation, which has continued its support.
The two-week intensive period takes place from Monday 14 to Sunday 27 September. The four-year programme is aimed at dance artists who are at the earlier stages of their careers, selected on the strength of their distinctive approach to choreographic practice.
With additional input from international guest speakers and workshop facilitators spanning dance, theatre, visual arts, philosophy and artistic development, the Summer University focuses on compositional and choreographic processes, performance and philosophies and how to sustain a creative career as a dance artist today.
The 21 artists chosen for the Second Edition are Adrienne Hart, Alesandra Seutin, Alexandrina Hemsley, Antonio de la Fe, Charlotte Spencer, Dan Daw, Eva Recacha, James Cousins, Joe Moran, Katerina Paramana, Katye Coe, Kwame Asafo-Adjei, Marquez & Zangs (Mariana Lucia Marquez & Emma Zangs), Neil Callaghan, Nicola Conibere, Patricia Okenwa, Pepa Ubera, Stefan Jovanovic, Stephanie McMann and Theo Clinkard.
Summer University Director Jonathan Burrows said, “in an intensive two weeks, the 21 participants will be encouraged to listen, look, study, discuss and reflect upon their own practice and on that of other dance artists, not in an academic way but as a preparation for the making of new work.
"The impact of this work when repeated over a number of years has a greater chance of spreading beyond the initial group of participating artists, and slowly shift approaches to choreography.”
Sadler’s Wells Artistic Programmer Eva Martinez said, “Summer University was born out of Sadler’s Wells’ desire to nurture artists in a more sustained way at specifically crucial stages of their development. Its first edition revealed just how much the artists benefit from an ongoing dialogue with each other over several years and with the theatre also.
"It has created a real sense of generational change and an unusual peer support network reaching beyond traditional artistic differences, thanks to the unique perspective Jonathan brings to this process.”
The Summer University programme is part of a range of initiatives Sadler's Wells offers to support and develop choreographers and dancers at varying stages of their practice. The National Youth Dance Company draws together some of the brightest young talent aged 16-19 from across the country to work with the theatre’s Associate Artists.
With Wild Card, Sadler’s Wells invites emerging choreographers and producers to curate an evening of work for its Lilian Baylis Studio, offering them production, technical and marketing support as part of the process.
Sadler’s Wells’ New Wave Associates programme, established in 2012, offers the next generation of artists a structured programme of support by directing them to opportunities that will further develop their careers and through a commitment to commission and show original new work by each of them.
Sadler’s Wells’ 16 Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and Associate Company are offered opportunities to work alongside collaborators and dancers and develop concepts and ideas for large-scale productions which the theatre commissions and co-produces.