Choreodrome 2026 Residency Call Out

Choreodrome is an opportunity for artists to connect with the range of programmes running at The Place.

Artists will receive support from the Artist Development team to help them to leverage partnerships and to develop their professional network in the UK and beyond, this includes:

• Free weekly artist networking lunches with other Choreodromeartists and staff at The Place

• Sharing their work at Choreodrome: making progress (previously known as Touch Wood), a two day networking event for programmers and dance industry professionals, which includes sharings, pitches and facilitated feedback sessions
• Support with the further development of work beyond Choreodrome, which may include production residencies and presentation opportunities in our theatre.

Artists will receive bespoke support from the Artist Development team to support their choreographic development. This includes:

• Producing and marketing meetings
• Support from Ben Wright, The Place's Artist Associate who will be on hand for 1-1 studio sessions, dramaturgical advice and feedback sessions.
• 2 day choreographic lab in Spring 2027 to revisit, experiment, test and try out ideas with other Choreodrome peers.
• Free hire of technical equipment e.g. microphones, projectors, standing lights etc.

Our Booster Packs are aimed at supporting artists in a specific area of choreographic practice or research. We're really excited to be working with Just Us Dance Theatre, Bradford Arts Centre & London Contemporary Dance School to provide tailored support to three artists.

Hip Hop Booster Pack

We want to hear from Hip Hop artists who would benefit from some focused creative support from Just Us Dance Theatre to engage in a period of R&D.

We will be offering support to one Hip Hop artist whose work is rooted in social, club or street dances.

In addition to the commission, space and development support outlined above the selected artist will receive:

• Studio support for approx 2 days, plus 1 planning meeting and 1 evaluation session.
• Residency planning support
• Dramaturgy/critical friend support
• Feedback
• Mentorship

About Just Us Dance Theatre

Just Us Dance Theatre is a sector leading Hip Hop organisation founded and driven by Artistic Director Joseph Toonga.

Just Us aims to bring together, support and up-skill young Hip Hop dancers and early career artists from different backgrounds across the UK and internationally.

We provide development programmes and opportunities for artists and young people from Black and ethnic minority and lower socioeconomic communities, and are committed to removing geographic, economic and social barriers that prevent people from taking part in arts and culture.

We have strong artistic and organisational ambitions to support Hip Hop freelance creatives, develop Hip Hop performers, exchange internationally and strengthen the UK Hip Hop ecology. We pride ourselves on staying connected to practising, developing artists, and being a vital conduit for arts organisations and the sector to diversify.

Bradford Arts Centre Booster Pack

We will be offering support to one artistwho is working across contemporary and classical Indian dance styles (including but not limited to Kathak, Bharatnatyam, or other regional Indian folk dance).

In addition to the commission, space and development support outlined above the selected artist will receive:

• 1 week studio or technical residency space at Bradford Arts Centre

• £750 contribution towards accommodation.
• £250 work in progress sharing performance fee at Bradford Arts Centre.
• Artistic and producing support from Bradford Arts Centre and associate artists

• Networking opportunities facilitated by Bradford Arts Centre

About Bradford Arts Centre (formerly known as Kala Sangam)

Bradford Arts Centre opened in October 2025 following a multi-million pound redevelopment, as a major hub for the arts and culture in Bradford. Along with a 200 seat theatre and 5 studio spaces for artists to create work, BDAC is also home to BCB radio and a café. BDAC aims to bring people and communities together to create and experience high-quality diverse art, to increase understanding and awareness of different cultures, and to provide talent development pathways for young people and emerging artists into a career in the arts.

BDAC programmes and supports artists that fit within their three programming stands – South Asian Now (South Asian artists/organisations or that showcases art forms from South Asia. A priority is placed on presenting work which develops the art form and/or is created by British people of South Asian descent.) This Is Bradford (Artists/ Organisations based in Bradford or who are creating work that is directly relevant to Bradford’s communities) and British Diversity (Artists/ Organisations creating work that reflects the diversity of contemporary Britain).

Knowledge Exchange Booster Pack

Supported by the Higher Education Innovation Fund

This booster pack is designed for artists whose practice aligns with the interests and expertise of Andrew Sanger from London Contemporary Dance School. We would like to hear from artists interested in exploring interdisciplinary collaboration, whose work is led by enquiry and/or who might be considering future PhD research.    

In addition to the commission, space and development support outlined above the selected artist will receive:

• Mentorship and access to an experienced academic/artist who can support your research, equivalent of 3 days over the two-week residency, including a preparation meeting

• Opportunities to attend workshops or seminars on research-led artistic methods and practice research

About Andrew Sanger

Originally from Michigan, Andrew is a researcher-artist working across dance, anthropology, and ecology. He completed his PhD in Anthropology at University College London studying under Hélène Neveu-Kringelbach and Jerome Lewis where he wrote about how environmental sensibility might be cultivated through dance practice, performance, and protest in the UK. Alongside teaching and research, he has been a company dancer with Jody Oberfelder Projects, and Vatic Theatre performing in the USA, UK, and Germany. His performance specialism is on interactive, site-responsive work including performing at St Pancras Station, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Millenium Bridge, and the Olympic Park in Munich. He has recently shared work at the UK River Summit at Morden Hall. His current creative interest is on ethnographically-informed choreography: the creation of performance work that is informed or led by research (i.e. participant observation, interviews, surveys) amongst a particular cultural group. His current research interests include queer ecology, folk practice such as English sword dancing and western herbal medicine, and shapeshifting in performance.

• Q&A sessions 19 January, 17:30 - 18:30. To book a slot and/or receive the recording please email choreodrome@theplace.org.uk

• Apply by 23 January, 18:00

• Interviews w/c 16 March & 23 March

You must be available for the following:

• Residencies take place between 14 July 2026 and 29 August 2026

• ‘making progress’ industry sharing on 8 & 9 September 2026

We are really interested in hearing ideas from artists who haven’t worked at The Place before as well as artists with whom we have previously collaborated.

All applicants must:

• Be based in the UK
• Be applying for a work with a strong and distinctive movement element - we welcome applications from dance artists as well as artists from other disciplines who use movement in their practice
• Your idea should have the potential to be presented in The Place’s Theatre (occasionally other projects are considered). You can find out more about our Theatre programme here.
• Have previous experience of making and touring high quality work
• Not currently be in education (unless at PhD level).

Artists applying for the £2,000 commissions must:

• Apply with an idea that has not been submitted to Choreodrome before unless it has been substantially reworked.

Artists applying for the £4,000 commissions must:

• Have already undertaken at least one research and development phase at The Place or elsewhere. This must be a defined period of studio-based research or making.
• Have at least 3 minutes of video material recorded in the studio of that research and development phase.
• Have at least one additional partner/funder in place supporting their project.

Please apply using this application form.

To see all of the questions, you can download a Word Document here.

Please fill in this Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. This information helps us monitor discrimination and harassment and allows us to address any identifiable negative trends.

If you require any support during the application process, including filling in the application form, or if another format would be more accessible for you, please contact choreodrome@theplace.org.uk and we will make the appropriate arrangements.

Once selected, you will be invited to fill out an Access Rider form or to share your access needs with us and caring responsibilities.

We will put in place as much as we can to enable you to take part in your residency.

All studios at The Place are accessible via a lift.

Where we can, we will contribute to access costs, this might include:

• Contributing to childcare costs or caring responsibilities so you can attend your interview

• Contributing to costs for a BSL interpreter for meetings or events related to Choreodrome

• Support you to include access costs in other funding applications (e.g. Arts Council England, Access to Work)

• Flexibility on studio time to fit around caring responsibilities