Making Moves is a new choreography and performance project for schools and youth groups across England, run by Sadler’s Wells and supported by Barclays. Each year 48 school and youth dance groups will be selected to take part in the project, for participants aged 11 – 18 (up to 24 years for d/Deaf or disabled young dancers).

Running across the academic year starting in September 2024, Making Moves provides participating groups with digital choreographic toolkits created by four professional dance artists connected with Sadler’s Wells. The toolkits are designed to inspire ideas for generating movement and contain a wealth of supporting resources.

This year the toolkits will be created by four choreographers including Seeta Patel, Jules Cunningham, Ben Duke and Kloé Dean. Find out more.

The project will begin with a training weekend at Sadler’s Wells for group leaders, including masterclasses led by the choreographers. Group leaders will then draw from the toolkits and work with their young dancers to create a new dance work, which will be performed at their school or youth group setting. Footage from these local platforms will be sent to the choreographers who will provide ideas for further development. Following this, groups will perform at a regional platform in Spring 2025. Sadler’s Wells staff and a guest dance professional will attend the regional performances and feedback will be shared to all participating groups.

Following the regional performances, eight groups will be invited to perform on Sadler’s Wells stage in July 2025, to a public audience and the choreographer’s of the toolkits.

Timeline

Go behind the scenes at this year’s Making Moves to see what you can expect

Toolkits & The Choreographers Weekend

The choreographic toolkits are designed for everyone to use whether you have lots of experience of choreographing or very little. The toolkits will provide you with footage of warm-ups, movement ideas and creative tasks as well as supporting resources, including music suggestions. You will also gain an insight into how a choreographer faces the challenge of creating new work and what environment and mindset they need for their creativity to flourish.

The Choreographers Weekend provides an opportunity to meet and work directly with the choreographer of your toolkit. As part of the weekend, they will guide you through the toolkit and will design the session to be accessible to all, including those with no previous dance experience.

Creation period

The creation process will begin after the Choreographers Weekend. During that period, you will have access to support from the Making Moves team as well as be connected to other participating groups in your region. By the end of the creation period, the goal is to have made an original piece of choreography that is between 4-8 minutes long.

Local, regional and national performances

Local/home venue

Each group will perform in a local or home venue to an audience. This can be made up of family, friends, staff and maybe other groups. Footage from this performance will be sent to the choreographer of your toolkit who will provide feedback on the piece before your regional performance.

Regional

Sadler’s Wells will organise the regional platforms. These regional platforms will take place at various venues around the country in Spring 2025, from February-April. You will be informed of the venue and the date as soon as possible.

At the regional platform, there will be an opportunity to share your work with other groups from your local region. It will be an exciting day of masterclasses and talks followed by the performance. A panel of judges from the Making Moves team will attend the platforms in order to shortlist a selection of groups to represent the project at the National Platform.

National

From these regional platforms, eight groups will be selected to perform on a Sadler’s Wells stage to a public audience in late July 2025. This date will be confirmed as soon as possible.

Fees/Bursaries

The cost for groups to participate in Making Moves is £300 (+VAT), which can be paid across 2 instalments. Bursaries are available to support groups facing financial barriers to participation.

For more information about financial support, please e-mail the Making Moves team: MakingMoves@sadlerswells.com

Terms and Conditions

• You must have one Company Contact through which all communication will be sent

• It is mandatory for one group leader from each group to attend the Choreographers Weekend on 13 & 14 September, 2024 at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. It is the responsibility of each group to pay for travel and accommodation to attend the Choreographers Weekend. Bursaries are available to groups that would benefit from financial support

• The toolkits will be available to access from September and are to be used by your group only. Toolkits may not be passed on to any other person or organisation

• While the Making Moves team will consider the choreographer preference listed on your application form, by confirming your place on the project you confirm you understand you may be paired with any of the four choreographers on the project

• Each group is responsible for their costs incurred during the creation period and involvement in performances at the local, regional and national level. Bursaries are available to groups that would benefit from financial support

• Each group cannot exceed the maximum of 20 dancers

• Dancers in your group must be between 11 – 18 years old (or up to 24 for D/deaf and Disabled dancers)

• If you are a group that is external to a school (e.g. a youth dance company) you may be required to obtain individual child licences or be included in a Body of Persons Approval (BOPA) licence. In this case, you will be responsible for ensuring the timely collection of all the necessary paperwork. This may include the group obtaining chaperone licences for the staff attending the platforms.

• The safety of participants is important to us. We aim to make sure all our activities are safe and considerate, especially those involving children and vulnerable adults. We expect all participating groups to take health and safety seriously and have their own safeguarding policy in place, as well as adhere to the Sadler’s Wells Safeguarding Policy. Please find Sadler’s Wells safety policies here.

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