ArtsUnboxed - a new initiative for safely touring work in 2021
This spring, Greenwich Dance will launch ArtsUnboxed, an innovative new way to safely create, produce and tour dance in 2021.
Funded by the Culture Recovery Fund administered by Arts Council England, Greenwich Dance has commissioned six artists to develop new dance work that can be packaged as a virtual blueprint and sold to venues, festivals and dance organisations across the country. Those purchasing the works will then be able to deliver them using local artists, with a royalty going to the original creatives.
Designed to kickstart creativity in dance following the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on the sector, ArtsUnboxed also offers a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way of touring ideas, rather than people, and creates more opportunities for cultural employment at a local level.
ArtsUnboxed is a way for creatives to develop a ‘recipe’ for new dance work that can be replicated by artists in local settings around the country. This initiative is the latest example of how the organisation has continued to provide opportunities for artists to create and audiences to engage with dance work in a safe environment, while also supporting employment in the sector and offering hope for the future.
Greenwich Dance received over 70 applications to be part of the commission. The final artists chosen are;
Joss Arnott of Joss Arnott Dance with producer Phil Hargreaves
Sarah Blanc working with Annie Hanauer and Vicky Malin as part of their collective Annie Vicky Sarah, with producer Emma Abbey
John Darvell - NOCTURN with producer Sarah Shead - Spin Arts
Temujin Gill - Grounded Movement with producer Kate Scanlan of Scanners Inc
Pervez - Live 2 Break, with producer Kate Scanlan of Scanners Inc
Anna Williams & Tom Roden of Anatomical with producer Claire Summerfield of Tandem Works
ArtsUnboxed is a further example of Greenwich Dance’s commitment to supporting artists, communities and the sector throughout the pandemic. Since March it has presented a socially distanced doorstep tour across the borough, delivered a wide-ranging programme of online dance classes for all ages, developed a podcast, Talking Moves, that connects artists with each other, and created a new digital stage to share work from around the world.
