Tag: Alistair Spalding

Sadler’s Wells’ ten year plan

Sadler's Wells LogoThe UK’s largest dance house, Sadler’s Wells, has announced plans for a new performance space as part of its recent ten year plan. The vision of Artistic Director and Chief Executive, Alistair Spalding, is one which is ambitious, but exciting for a city in which dance thrives. The announcement came almost ten years after he was appointed in his current role, and outlines plans for the next decade.

The main crux of the plans is to establish an additional, fourth performance space for Sadler’s as one of the world’s leading dance organisations, with the expansion backed by a commitment to invest £5 million in commissioning new dance works. The new venue will house 500 seats in order to present new, mid-scale contemporary work in addition to the main dance house and the smaller Lilian Baylis studio theatre. London is lacking in a space of this kind, and it is hoped that the building of one will help confirm London’s position as a global centre for the art form.

Despite the fact Sadler’s Wells is a dance powerhouse, the demand for dance in the capital is continuing to grow, meaning the gap for a mid-scale space must be filled. Spalding believes the new building will give creative talent a proper chance to develop for the future growth of the art form by expanding the current base and without losing the unique quality and atmosphere that is associated with Sadler’s Wells.

As a rule Sadler’s has been transformed from a receiving venue for other companies’ productions to a venue that is celebrated for supporting, commissioning and producing original, new work which it presents nationally and internationally. The dance house aims to present the busiest season of dance ever in the theatre’s 331-year history, with a total of over 40 shows across the three venues during spring/summer 2014.

Alistair Spalding’s Honorary Doctorate

Middlesex University

Alistair Spalding, the artistic director of Sadler’s Wells, was awarded an honorary doctorate by Middlesex University in recognition of his contribution to the UK’s creative industries, despite having little contact with leotards and legwarmers throughout his life. Spalding received his honorary doctorate in a ceremony at the university’s Hendon campus in north London on July 20 before an audience of graduating performing arts students who had all completed degrees in subjects such as Dance Performance, Theatre Arts and Music and Arts Management.

In addition to his award from Middlesex University, Spalding was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in this year’s Birthday Honours, in recognition of his services to dance and huge contribution to the arts sector as a whole, be it tutus and tights, or jazz shoes and jazz pants. Embarking on his early career as a teacher, Spalding became Sadler’s Wells’ artistic director in 2004 as the UK’s leading dance house, as it came to be known under his direction. Sadler’s Wells has also recently ventured down the production route in its hosting of dance, with many shows now commissioned and produced at the venue.

In terms of Middlesex University specifically, Spalding was noted to have said how much of a privilege it was to receive the doctorate from the institution as one that has done so much to ensure that practising artists are thoroughly involved in the day to day life of the university, which provides so much for them artistically, from a fantastic faculty to all-encompassing courses. The University delivers much in terms of Professional Practice also, preparing its students for the challenging world surrounding the arts, and providing them with the means to survive and consequently excel in the field.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.