Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) and the Bonnie Bird Choreography Fund (BBCF) have come together to launch CoLab North, an artist development programme providing chorographers with a funded opportunity to explore their practice over a nine-day choreographic lab.
CoLab North is a paid opportunity for artists based in Northern England and engaged in diverse dance practices and interdisciplinary approaches, to nurture their choreographic study and receive industry specialist mentorship.
The lab will take place from Monday 18 August to Friday 29 August 2025 and supports choreographers with nine days of studio space at NSCD to explore new work, ideas or directions, either by themselves or together with a small number of dancers or a collaborator of their choice. Alongside studio time, the CoLab North programme will also include collective moments where the artistic teams gather for discussion and exchange.
The programme has been conceptualised to address the limited opportunities for diverse choreographic voices through artist-led research and development and will prioritise a diversity of chorographic influences and voices including those that identify as: Global Majority artists, Disabled artists, artists working with LGBTQ+ narratives, artists working in intergenerational practices, and artists creating from a working-class perspective.
CoLab North connects to BBCF’s mission to support the research and development of new choreography and to NSCD’s ‘Northern Colour Artist Development Programme’.
The Lab will be facilitated by Sharon Watson MBE DL and produced by Mark Hollander.
Sharon Watson MBE DL and CEO and Principal of NSCD comments:
“Northern School of Contemporary Dance is extremely proud to continue its partnership with the Bonnie Bird Choreography Fund. As an organisation dedicated to widening access and participation within the arts, we’re pleased to be able to support diverse choreographic voices to increase their visibility and amplify their creative voice in Northern England.”
Mark Hollander, Arts and Culture Consultant and Producer of CoLab North adds:
“This artist-focused lab is an opportunity for choreographers to freely explore their current ideas in the ways that are most useful for the evolution of their practice right now. I am delighted to be part of a programme that is relevant and can really make a difference to artists who may normally face barriers to nurturing their choreographic practice.”
Applications for CoLab North are now open and close on Sunday 4 May 2025.
For more information and to apply, visit the application call out here.
