Artist Soup is a new annual flexible funding and networking opportunity and event for professional North East dance artists.
Over an evening of soup and networking, ten North East artists pitch for 4 x £500 bursaries. Three of the bursaries are awarded by a democratic audience vote, one by a panel of sector experts. Artists not awarded a bursary will receive a stipend for their pitches.
Proposals will be considered for new performance work, site specific projects, work with a community focus and/or personal and career development/ upskilling ideas.
The first pilot Soup is supported by Northern Stage and Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. The event will take place on Wednesday 25 March 2020, 6-9pm in the Theatre at Dance City.
There will be an open call and invite for artists to complete a short expression of interest. The Dance City Artistic team will shortlist and invite artists to pitch and offer them a Pitch Practice session with sector experts in advance.
As well as proposals for new performance work, we’re also keen to support site specific projects, work with a community focus, and personal and career development/upskilling ideas.
Each successful artist (max 10) will have a maximum of 3mins on the Dance City theatre stage to pitch their project idea to the panel and audience. You can choose how best to pitch your idea, verbally, with visual aids or by demonstration. We will need to know at least 7 days in advance if you require technical support. Four successful artists/companies will be awarded the cash bursaries, to be spent directly or used to leverage further support from other funding bodies towards their project/idea. Artists who are do not receive an award at Soup will receive a £50 bursary for participating in the event. All artists pitching will receive complimentary soup and a drink during the networking session.
Our Soup event hosts are Kiz Crosbie, Artistic Director and CEO of Mortal Fools and Dance City Board Member and Phil Douglas, Interim Director of Dance City and Director of Curious Arts. Phil Douglas and Chloe Stott, Dance City’s Ticket Office Manager and Associate Producer with Alphabetti Theatre and Grey Scale will be available on 20 and 24 March for a Pitch Practice session to help you design and execute the perfect pitch. (30 min meeting to be arranged with Interim Creative Producer Alex Anslow – alex.anslow@dancecity.co.uk) A follow up conversation with the Dance City Artistic Team at a mutually convenient time will be arranged with all bursary award winners to discuss what further support would be useful.
The panel of industry experts include:
- Alex Anslow – Interim Creative Producer at Dance City
- Katie Hickman – Programme Curator at BALTIC Gateshead
- Pippa Fox – Producer at Northern Stage
- Kristian Pellissier – Arts Council England Relationship Manager for Dance in the North
- Dora Frankel – Independent Artist
- Mandy Rogerson – BA (Hons) Dance Programme Leader at Newcastle College
To be eligible to apply you must be living or have trained in the North East and be making or managing a project which includes dance or physical movement (including circus). Only one application can be submitted per artist/company. On this occasion, Dance City Commissioned artists 2020-21 are not eligible to apply to ensure that we can support and fund a wider pool of artists across the region.
Dance City is particularly looking to support artists who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic/Person of Colour, Disabled and mature/50+.
We’ve outlined some aspects which we’d like the audience to consider before voting for their preferred project to receive an award. You may want to consider these points when designing your application and pitch.
- Strength or uniqueness of the artistic idea
- Potential for the project to be realised successfully and is it value for investment?
- The impact or contribution the project makes to the dance sector in the North East
- Does the work have a suitable and clearly identified target audience? (if appropriate)
Tickets for audience members are on sale now https://www.dancecity.co.uk/class/128699/dance-city-soup/
Tickets are limited so early booking is encouraged. Tickets are £5 and include a bowl of soup and a drink during the event. Please advise at the time of booking if you have any dietary requirements.
Dance City is a fully accessible building with lift access and accessible toilets. On request we can provide a BSL interpreter for both artists pitching or for anyone attending as an audience member (two weeks notice is required for this). Please email us to discuss any access needs and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
We encourage artists pitching to think about how they can make the content of their pitch flexible and accessible. Ideas of formats to consider are images, video with subtitles, audio, handouts on white and cream paper, large print, captioning and audio description.
Our thanks to BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and Northern Stage for providing financial support towards the artist bursaries for our Soup event, as well as their time and expertise in supporting the decision-making panel.
To apply:
We are happy to receive applications either as a written document below, by video, by voice note or phone call.
If you prefer to apply by phone, the date we are offering to arrange a call is Monday 17 February between 10am and 4pm. Please email alex.anslow@dancecity.co.uk to book your appointment. The number to call on the day is 0191 2610505, and our Ticket Office team will connect your call.
Please email video or voice note applications to Alex Anslow using WeTransfer.
If you would like to apply in writing, please complete and return by email the application form below.
DC SOUP 2020 – Call Out Application Form
(3) Dance City SOUP – Easy Read 2020
Deadline for submission of applications to Alex Anslow, Dance City’s Interim Creative Producer, alex.anslow@dancecity.co.uk is: 12 noon, Wednesday 19 February 2020.
