Space 2 Create £11,000 commission launches

7 February 2025

East London Dance launches an £11,000 commission for a new dance theatre piece.

We’re thrilled to announce Space 2 Create, a new annual commission supported by The Linbury Trust and Arts Council England. As East London Dance approaches its 40th anniversary we are launching a new annual commission to create exciting dance theatre in our beautiful east London home, the Talent House.

Historically East London Dance has supported choreographers to find their voice, provided platforms for new work and supported artists coming together to collaborate. Over the years we have supported the vision of artists such as Vicki Igbokwe (Uchenna Dance), Alessandra Seutin, Natasha Khamjani (Folk Dance Remixed), Botis Seva (Far From The Norm) and Joseph Toonga (Just Us Dance), and with this new commission we are looking to the next wave of incredible dance makers.

Space 2 Create will provide an annual opportunity for a dance theatre maker to create new work, explore new collaborative relationships and take their work to the next level. We look forward to developing a series of impactful commissions in the lead up to our 40th anniversary in 2028 and beyond.

“At East London Dance, we are committed to championing artists and dance forms that deserve greater visibility and investment. With this new £11k commission, we are excited to support groundbreaking work from hip hop, club styles, South Asian, and African dance creators – voices that have long shaped the dance landscape but remain underrepresented in theatre.

This initiative is about more than just funding; it’s about empowering artists to push boundaries, tell new stories, and inspire the next generation of dance makers & audiences. As we approach our 40th anniversary, we’re excited to deepen our relationships with a new wave of choreographers.”  

Kate Scanlan, Co-Creative Director & CEO, East London Dance 

This year’s iteration is a co-commissioning partnership with The Place. The commission is open to London based artists or collectives with an east London connection, working in  hip hop dance, club styles, South Asian dance styles and/or African dance styles, who have bold ideas and want to bring powerful storytelling to the stage.

The £11,000 commission is broken down as £8,000 commission, £2,000 toward the creation of original music and £1,000 toward working with a Dramaturg. The offer includes two weeks at East London Dance’s Talent House studios and up to two weeks at The Place.

East London Dance will also provide Arts Council England Project Grant writing support, a producer’s eye in the studio and wellbeing support, plus the development of a marketing & press pack including photography & videography and opportunities for the chosen dance maker to build relationships with key East London Dance partners, and promoter networking opportunity.

Applications are open until Monday 17 March, 2025. For full information on eligibility criteria and to apply please visit our opportunity page HERE.