Open Call: An International Retreat for Dance, Live Art and Performance Artists

How do artists build sustainable careers in today’s climate?

Could we learn from each other across different contexts and feel less alone?

Chisenhale Dance Space (opens a new window), in collaboration with the Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, is launching an Open Call for dance, live art or performance artists to take part in a 3-day-retreat in London in August 2025.

The retreat will bring together six artists—three from the UK and three from Finland—for collective reflection, mutual support, and personal and professional development. Geared towards artists looking for new ways to sustain themselves and their work at the specifically complex mid-career point, the residency offers time to pause, take stock, and map a sense of direction—something many artists rarely have the space or support to do, let alone in the company of international peers.

Taking place within a socio-political context where artistic careers feel increasingly precarious, this gathering will focus on peer exchange, collective reflection, and morale-building, as well as generating committed, aligned actions.

Facilitated by dance curator, dramaturge and life coach Eva Martinez and artist, producer and wellbeing practitioner Frances Morgan, the programme invites artists to recharge their creative energy, critically reflect on their practice, and forge meaningful international connections. The facilitators bring complementary approaches rooted in dance industry expertise across UK and European contexts, life coaching, embodiment, and wellbeing—supporting participants to think about how to sustain not only their practice and careers, but also themselves as creative people.

In alignment with Chisenhale Dance Space’s commitment to equity and artist-led support, priority will be given to those with lived experience of marginalisation*.

The weekend will hold space to explore how systems of exclusion intersect with the realities of maintaining an artistic career—creating an environment that centres care, curiosity, and solidarity. Participants will be encouraged to consider concrete next steps to sustain their artistic lives in the face of ongoing challenges.

*We define marginalisation as the process by which people of many backgrounds are disempowered through systems of oppression. These include racism, ableism, classism, queerphobia and sexism, among others. In the selection process we hope to create a group that holds a range of lived experiences, who can approach these ideas with nuance & sensitivity.

When and where is it happening?

The retreat will take place at Chisenhale Dance Space in London. Applicants must be available for all of the following dates:

Thursday 31st July, 4-6pm (BST / UK time): Zoom welcome meeting

Weds 13th – Fri 15th August: Residency days at Chisenhale Dance Space (E3 5QZ)

There will be an additional online evaluation session, scheduled after the residency.

Who can apply?’

• This opportunity is for three UK-based artists and three Finland-based artists, specifically;
  • UK Artists: Artists in the CDS Artist Community
  • Finnish and Finland-based artists from the field of dance, live art or performance
  • Artists should work in fields related to dance, live art or performance
  • English will be the working language, so applicants should be comfortable with this.
  • Artists should be mid-career, of any age. We define this loosely to mean 5+ years working professionally, and having a good understanding of your artistic practice and the barriers you currently face.
  • Artists should have a willingness to share with each other during the retreat, and to share publicly some reflections on the process afterwards. This could look like a blog or short video interview, but we can figure out other options collectively.
    

Artist fee

Selected artists will be paid £1,000 total, including the following:

• £600 retreat fee (3 days at £200pd)
• £200 retreat fee (2 meetings at £100)
• £200 fee on completion of a blog / reflection piece

Travel and accommodation costs for all Finland-based artists will be covered, up to three nights. Additionally, we will cover travel and accommodation costs for any UK based artists coming from outside of London. Local travel can be covered for artists based in London.

We will also offer per diems for breakfast and lunch on retreat days, plus an evening meal on Wednesday and theatre tickets on Thursday.

Accessibility

The retreat takes place at Chisenhale Dance Space, London, UK. Please note, we are on the second floor of a warehouse building, accessed by a staircase only. We regret that we cannot currently adequately support wheelchair users and those for whom stairs are a barrier.We are committed to removing other barriers to access. The schedule and agenda will be flexible, shaped in response to the desires of the group. If you have specific needs, please share these in your application, or email your access rider separately.

If you would like to talk about your access needs in advance of applying, or need assistance with the application form, please contact Frances Morgan by Wednesday 2nd July: frances@chisenhaledancespace.co.uk (mailto:frances@chisenhaledancespace.co.uk)

How to apply?

To apply, please complete the application form below:

OR you can also submit a video / audio application. Please respond to the questions here (opens a new window) in no longer than 5 minutes. Then send a link to download your video or audio file to: frances@chisenhaledancespace.co.uk

DATES

Weds 11th June: Applications open

Weds 9th July, 10pm (UK): Applications close

Monday 14th July: Selected applicants informed

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact Frances Morgan by Weds 2nd July: frances@chisenhaledancespace.co.uk

About the Facilitators

Eva Martinez (opens a new window) (she/her) is a performing arts curator, producer, dramaturge and coach, most recently Artistic Programmer at Sadler’s Wells (2013-2020) where she curated distinctive UK-based artists alongside international work, introducing new names to the theatre and supporting a new generation of artists. She was Dance and Performance programmer at Southbank Centre and at Dance4 (now Fabric). A sought-after collaborator with an extended international network, she is known for her facilitative approach, championing experimentation and equity. Notable collaborations include dramaturgy for Siobhan Davies, Candoco Dance Company (with Hetain Patel), Alexandra Waierstall, Astrid Boons, Akeim Toussaint Buck & Ella Mesma. She is a certified life coach (ICF), Clore Fellow, trustee of Fabric and the chair of Pragrav Dance Company.

Frances Morgan (opens a new window) (she/her) is an artist, producer, facilitator, and wellbeing practitioner based in London. She works as Artist Community Producer at CDS, with her role focussed on developing artist leadership, facilitating meaningful collaboration between stakeholders, and advocating for marginalised voices in the arts. 

Collaboration is at the heart of Frances’ artistic practice, and she has co-led participatory, curatorial and discursive projects in response to diverse interests: queer and post-work futures, nightlife, magic, improvisation, and trans experience. She has performed and exhibited her work at theatres, galleries and clubs across the UK, including The Place, Wellcome Collection, The Yard Theatre, Yorkshire Dance, Dance4, Vivid Projects, and Marlborough Theatre. She is currently studying for an MA in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths University.

The project is partnership between Chisenhale Dance Space and Finnish Institute in the UK and Ireland, supported as part of the pARTir initiative funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.

Image: Lucy Hayes, Pictured CDS Artist Community Activators