The iconic East London performance venue Wilton’s Music Hall is set to host a three-day dance festival this autumn in order to showcase new work by emerging artists, and forge relationships for future collaborations. In addition, the organisation is also looking for potential companies to partner with on future commissions across different dance forms, widening their reach to new and potential dance audiences who may have not engaged with the music hall venue before.
The venue will stage the event, to be called Wilton’s Strike!, as part of its interim arts programme that is running while the venue’s restoration continues, providing an unmissable opportunity for emerging dance artists and choreographers all over the city and beyond. Wilton’s is inviting applications from dance groups to take part in the festival, by submitting an idea for a piece of choreography, up to 30 minutes in length, based on the theme of metamorphosis.
Following applications, six of those applicants will be selected to appear in the festival in the autumn of this year, and will be given £1,500 and rehearsal time to develop their work, as well as mentoring from contemporary dancer Jonathan Goddard and other artists. The chance to be mentored by dancers of this calibre alone is an incredible opportunity and not one to be missed. Goddard danced at Wilton’s Music Hall last summer in the title role of Mark Bruce’s Dracula to great critical acclaim.
Wilton’s Strike! will take place from 25-27 September, with two companies of the six selected performing per night. Dance and theatre critics will be invited to attend the festival and view the performances, and each performance will be live streamed online to expand the festival’s reach.
The deadline for festival application submissions is 23 June.