Dance City and Moving Art Management announce new commissions for North East Artists

Dance City and Moving Art Management are launching new collaborative initiatives to support independent dance artists and choreographers working across the North East of England.

As part of this collaboration, we are officially opening three new artist commissions to support the creation of new live performance work by local dance makers. Our aim is to nurture the North East dance ecology and support the emergence of new and evolving ideas in dance.

About the Opportunity

This is a commissioning opportunity designed to give artists a momentum point, offering confidence, structure and support to take the step and make the work.

It has been created in direct response to conversations with artists across the sector, recognising the need for more accessible early-stage support. It supports ideas that are already in motion, or just beginning to take shape. It is about creating the conditions for work to grow, shift and be explored with care, offering time, attention and resources at a meaningful point in its development.

What’s on Offer

Three artists will be selected for the programme. Each commission includes:

£3,000 artist fee
Up to 10 days of rehearsal space at Dance City (August 2026 – February 2027, subject to availability)
The opportunity to share a work-in-progress excerpt at Move: In Progress on Thursday 4 February 2027
Up to 2 days of producing and development support from Moving Art Management (in person or online)

This is not intended as a one-off transaction. We are interested in building ongoing relationships with artists beyond the life of this commission development.

Both Dance City and Moving Art Management see this as the potential beginning of an artist-producer partnership for the development of their commissioned work

Who Can Apply

This opportunity is open to dance artists and makers at all stages of their career, from any style of dance. Dance film makers and circus performers are not eligible to apply for this opportunity.

We are looking for artists who are ready to take a step forward in their practice, whatever that looks like for them.

What We’re Looking For

We are interested in work that:

Marks a meaningful step in your practice
Is a live performance work for the stage
Requires co-producer support to realise its full potential Would benefit from co-producer support
Is designed to connect with communities, audiences and partners
Combines employment opportunities for artists from the region to support the local sector

We are not defining ambition, urgency or impact. Instead, we are interested in work that feels necessary, alive or important in your practice right now.