Introducing… 2021

BDN Introducing… is Birmingham’s longest-running platform for new dance work, and it’s back for 2021! This year we want Introducing… to be a celebration of live theatre performance. It will be an opportunity for performers, choreographers and anyone involved in dance to share work, provide feedback and reconnect. We will be showcasing work-in-progress from regional dance artists that is suitable for studio theatre spaces. If you’ve got an idea or are already developing a piece, Introducing… might be for you. BDN are interested in submissions of work-in-progress from all dance forms (south asian/ hip-hop/ improv/ classical/ theatrical/ contemporary/ street/ tap/ ballroom etc). As long as you’re interested in exploring a new idea that needs an audience, and are being creative with your form, we want to hear from you. New for 2021 We also want to celebrate the work that has been made over lockdown for social media and will be launching a new feature for Introducing… BDN REALS! Did you start sharing your moves as Instagram reels or on Tiktok during lockdown? Have you got up to two minutes’ worth of material you can share with an audience? We want to pack the stage with performers who can give the audience a live or real flavour of what’s been bubbling on social media for the last 18 months. BDN Reals is a space for both improvisation and set material and there are no limits on style. The only thing we ask is that what you do is between 30 and 120 seconds long and has a specific music/soundtrack to go with it. We are interested in:

• Early, mid or late career artists
• Artists making work that is suitable for studio theatre spaces with minimal technical requirements
• Live performance work that is 5-15 minutes long
• Midlands-based dance artists
• Digital work designed for screen that can be viewed in the performance space or in other areas of the venue
• Performers and choreographers who are available all day on 3 October
• BDN Reals Submissions: must be no more than two minutes in length. Reals performers need to be available only for the evening performance.

Fee: There is a day fee of £170 per performer and/or choreographer. BDN can also offer childcare and/or access expenses for performers and choreographers on the day of performance. BDN Reals performers will receive £25 in expenses and will not be needed for technical set-up during the day. You will also receive video footage of your work and direct written feedback from the audience. We will be inviting industry programmers and producers to the event and will encourage dance-makers to connect with potential future partners during the evening. Application Process BDN Reals: please send a link to an example of your Instagram Reels or Tiktok account with a short statement about why you want to be involved to info@birminghamdancenetwork.co.uk with the subject title Introducing Reals application.

Work-in-progress: please fill out the attached application form and send it to info@birminghamdancenetwork.co.uk with the subject title Introducing work-in-progress application.

Deadline for submission for both BDN Reals and work-in-progress is 10am on Thursday 9 September 2021.  BDN Introducing… 2021 is excellently supported by Arts Council England and ACE dance and music.