Sadler’s Wells has launched a range of artist development initiatives, devised by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artistic Director Rob Jones, with a focus on practice rather than performance-based outcomes, including artist-led programmes, a mentoring scheme and programmes for South Asian dance practitioners and disabled artists.
Jones said, “we want these programmes to be spaces where we can have a consistent dialogue with developing choreographers and dance artists. The majority of our programmes are open call outs, and some are targeted in recognition of underserved areas of the dance ecology. These initial strands are focused on holding space for development without the pressure of production-based outcomes.”
Ten early-career choreographers or dance artists will be paired with an established choreographer to explore a specific creative question, provocation or idea with six one-hour mentoring sessions held online over the year. Mentors include Ivan Blackstock, Claire Cunningham, Dan Daw, Gregory Maqoma, Seeta Patel, Crystal Pite and Charlotte Spencer.
The two-year South Asian Dance Development Programme is for emerging choreographers whose practice is based in a South Asian dance style from Kathak, to Odissi, to Bollywood, delivered in partnership with Akademi.
Time and Space Commissions offer three more established choreographers £7,000, studio space and producing support, with no pressure to deliver a production at the end, open to artists from a range of choreographic styles who have already made at least three professional productions.
The Disabled Artist Programme is a rolling programme in which participants will be invited to join a practice-based session each month, collaborating with artists who have worked on Sadler’s Wells stages.