Callout for applications for CoLab North: Nourishing choreographic practices

Funded by Bonnie Bird Choreography Fund and hosted by Northern School of Contemporary Dance

A funded opportunity for choreographers to explore their practice over a 9-day choreographic lab in Leeds. CoLab North is an opportunity for artists engaged in diverse dance practices and interdisciplinary approaches and will include industry specialist mentorship embedded throughout the process.

CoLab North is a Bonnie Bird Choreography Fund (BBCF) programme in partnership with Northern School of Contemporary Dance (NSCD) that has been conceived to address limited opportunities for diverse choreographic voices through artist-led research and development. CoLab North connects to BBCF’s mission to support the research and development of new choreography and NSCD’s ‘Northern Colour Artist Development Programme’.

Application expectations and priorities

• CoLab North is open to artists with demonstrable experience of choreographic practice
• CoLab North will prioritise a diversity of choreographic influences and voices including those that identify as:
  • Global Majority artists
  • Disabled artists
  • Artists working with LGBTQ+ narratives
  • Artists working in intergenerational practices
  • Artists creating from a working-class perspective
• Priority will be given to Northern England residents (Yorkshire & Humber, North East and North West regions).
• Applicants must be available for all Lab dates between 18 and 29 August.

The Lab supports choreographers with 9 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.

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.

Once selected, we have some flexibility for each choreographer to contribute to the selection of up to 3 dancers or, if preferred, other artistic collaborators they want to work with, and how their time will be apportioned within our available budget.

Each selected choreographer will receive a fee of £200 per day (totalling £1,800) and £50 to attend the one-hour online pre-Lab introduction.

Alongside studio time, the Lab programme will also include collective moments where all artistic teams gather for discussion and exchange.

A programme of talks by invited Guest Speakers will be shaped in dialogue with the selected choreographers and woven into the Lab schedule.

The Lab will include an informal final sharing, where the choreographers and their team share some insight into what they have been exploring during the Lab, in whatever way feels most appropriate to their work – there is no pressure to create something finished.

As part of the Lab time Choreographers will also be asked to contribute to documentation of what they explore, capturing short reflections and sharing some images related to their process.

The Lab will be facilitated by Sharon Watson and produced by Mark Hollander.