To-date Dance Hub have invested in and are supporting seven companies through the Artistic Commissions programme and nine individuals through the Developing Practice Bursaries. In order to ensure Dance Hub reflect the diverse dance forms practiced in the City and wider region, complementing the existing rich dance offer, the team will be offering, within this third round, four genre-specific artistic commissions.

These genre-specific Artistic Commissions will be open to applications at specified times from October through to the New Year:
• Streetdance and Hip Hop Theatre Artistic Commissions – up to £30,000. Opens on 22nd October, deadline for applications Monday 26th November.
• Open Call Artistic Commissions – up to £30,000. Opens on 29th October, deadline for applications Monday 3rd December.
• South Asian Dance Artistic Commissions – up to £30,000. Opens on 7th January 2019, deadline for applications Monday 11th February.
• Dance for Disabled People, Inclusive or Integrated Dance Artistic Commissions – up to £30,000. Opens on 7th January 2019, deadline for applications Monday 11th February.

Monique Deletant, Director of Dance Hub Birmingham said: “The Artistic Commissions are designed to boost the already abundant offer for dance in the city, and wider region, by offering specific opportunities for dance genres which have historically accessed less funding and resource in the region.

“The work being developed and performed as part of our previous funding rounds is incredible and we hope that through this round we continue to support and showcase the amazing talent and dance offer resident in the West Midlands as we as contribute to making Birmingham an excellent city for dance.”

The Developing Practice Bursaries are aimed at individual artists and dance practitioners developing their career in the region who would not otherwise have the opportunity to access professional development and/or experience that would impact on their future practice. Up to 5 bursaries are available up to £1500. The closing date for applications is Monday 3rd December.

Talking about the Developing Practice Bursaries Monique Deletant said: “These bursaries are really about locally based artists and dance practitioners making a step change in their career. We hope this investment enables them to increase their knowledge, make new connections and broaden their dance experience as well as showing a commitment to sharing this learning with the wider regional dance sector. These bursaries are a fantastic way for Dance Hub to invest in and grow the capacity of our flourishing sector.”

Artists and dance practitioners can find out more about these opportunities at a series of Q&A cafes over the coming months including:
• Thursday 8th November – 4-6:30pm, Marmalade, Birmingham Repertory Theatre (plus a free ticket for anyone attending to that evening’s performance of Orange Polar Bear at The Rep – show starts at 8pm)
• Wednesday 5th December – 10am-12:30pm, Yorks Bakery & Cafe, Stephenson Street, Birmingham
• Monday 14th January – 1-3pm, Java Lounge, Colmore Row, Birmingham
These cafes are open to anyone wanting to ask the Dance Hub Birmingham team about their project, work, idea or to unpick the process of applying for a commission or bursary.

Full details on how to apply for the Artistic Commissions can be found here

Details on how to apply for the Developing Practice Bursaries can be found here