Akademi announces artist development plans for 2018-22
South Asian dance artists will benefit from a refreshed suite of development opportunities as Akademi begins a new phase of Arts Council England funded activity.
April 2018 marked the beginning of Akademi’s new core funding agreement with Arts Council England. Over the next four years, the charity will support the career development of South Asian dance artists at all career stages through a tailored programme of activity.
Building on previous successful projects, such as NAVODIT, DAREDEVAS, UTKARSH and CHOREOGATA, the new programme follows detailed evaluation and sector consultation and aims to respond directly to the needs and ambitions of artists.
Forthcoming projects include:
NAVADAL: a biennial youth dance competition, offering a platform for the most talented young dancers, with opportunities to connect with the wider dance sector.
NAVODIT: bespoke support for emerging dancers who are committed to developing their performance skills.
DAREDEVAS: enabling established artists to create and showcase unique performances through collaboration with musicians. This project aims to create viable touring work and will build new venue partnerships to take it to a wider audience.
Choreographic development: unique residencies and workshops with leading choreographers from diverse traditions, offering practical and theoretical training to aspiring South Asian dance choreographers, tailored to the context and traditions of Indian classical dance.
Specialist training: training and guidance for South Asian dance artists to develop their practice in educational and community settings – including unique shadowing and mentorship opportunities.
Akademi began this new phase of work in April with a day of auditions, offering dancers the chance to receive feedback from experienced performers and providing a pathway into employment and development opportunities with Akademi.
Dance artists who are interested in participating in Akademi’s development programmes should email artists@akademi.co.uk to keep in touch with future application dates and announcements.