Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival Seeking Dance Commissions
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Richmond Arts Service has a proud history of developing and presenting dance and is home to a range of artists, companies and training institutions. The local sector has now come together to offer a unique opportunity to commission a major dance event for next year’s Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival, 13 – 29 June 2025.
This is an exciting opportunity for a dance artist, a collective or a company to propose and deliver an ambitious and inspirational event, that combines high-quality professional dance with local participation to reach and inspire local audiences as a highlight event of next year’s festival programme. UK-based dance collectives, artists and companies are invited to apply for their new Dance Commission.
Inspired by the festival theme of Cultural Reforesting, your proposed dance event or project will address how we can renew our relationship with nature. The proposal will have a strong artistic vision and work collaboratively with local dancers, dance participants, students or residents.
The Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival is an event that spans the borough of Richmond and beyond. Piloted in 2023 and set to return in 2025, the festival celebrates arts, culture, and community building.
Developed and co-produced by a diverse range of partners—including Richmond’s public libraries, arts organizations, theatres, universities, schools, charities, and local partners—the festival is a collaborative, adventurous, thought-provoking, and inclusive event.
Aligned with Culture Richmond’s 10-year framework, the festival fosters a sense of togetherness among Richmond’s communities. Collaborating with over 60 local organizations, the 2025 festival will be a pivotal celebration of arts and ideas, focusing on the theme of Cultural Reforesting.
They are looking for one or more public performances as an ‘anchor event’ of the festival. The commission can be: a new work specifically designed and created just for Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival; a work already scheduled to tour in summer 2025, with Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival being a significant moment in the tour and offering local participation opportunities; or an existing work, which is adapted and developed for the Arts & Ideas Festival and offers local participation opportunities.
They are looking for work that has strong artistic vision, with professional production and cast, but also includes the participation of local dancers or dance participants / students / residents. The Borough has a range of groups and individuals who may wish to participate and benefit from this opportunity. The partners of the Artistic Selection Group and the Richmond Arts Team can help broker relationships to relevant groups and individuals. This could, for instance, include groups like: Year 1 students from Rambert School, Community groups and/or dancers from Combination Dance’s provision, Bolder & Older group run by Dance West, Youth Theatre or OT Friday Company run by Orange Tree Theatre. The successful applicant may have their own networks in the Borough which they wish to develop.
As well as responding to the theme of the festival, they are particularly interested in proposals which engage with outdoor public realm spaces. The performances will be un-ticketed and free. The festival particularly welcomes proposals for a work that could possibly ‘tour’ and be shown in more than one location during the festival.
The commission is open to UK-based artists, collectives and companies with at least three years of professional experience and a track record of performed works. There is an overall budget of up to £18,000 available. This is to cover all costs, such as: artist fees, rehearsals, licences, equipment, staffing, production, etc.
Applications from artists who have a connection with the Borough are particularly welcomed. This could include being resident or having lived and worked in Richmond upon Thames. It could also be an established relationship like being an alumnus of one of the training organisations in the Borough, or having a specific interest in a place, history or community.
Interested applicants should apply by 23rd of September. Click here to learn more and apply now.
Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival, Image credit Richmond Arts & Ideas Festival