Contemporary Dance Trust

Contemporary Dance Trust
Name	Contemporary Dance Trust
Formation	20th century
Type	Non-profit arts organization
Headquarters	London
Region served	International
Leader title	Director

Contemporary Dance Trust

Contemporary Dance Trust is an arts organization focused on contemporary dance production, preservation, and dissemination. It operates as a nexus for choreographers, companies, dancers, curators, and educators, supporting creation, touring, and archival projects. The Trust engages with festivals, theatres, and cultural institutions to present work, develop training, and conserve choreographic legacies.

History

The Trust emerged amid the postwar growth of UK arts institutions and the expanding profiles of choreographers such as Merce Cunningham, Pina Bausch, Martha Graham, Crystal Pite, and William Forsythe. Early collaborations linked the Trust with venues like the Sadler's Wells Theatre, Royal Opera House, Almeida Theatre, Barbican Centre, and festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Serpentine Gallery screenings. It commissioned works by figures associated with Siobhan Davies Dance, DV8 Physical Theatre, Rosas, Candoco Dance Company, and Ballet Rambert, while also supporting emerging artists from schools such as Royal Ballet School, London Contemporary Dance School, and Faculdade de Belas Artes de Lisboa. Strategic advocacy connected the Trust to national funding bodies including Arts Council England, philanthropic trusts like the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and international partners such as the European Cultural Foundation.

Mission and Activities

The Trust's mission centers on producing choreography, preserving repertoires, and enabling research into movement practices connected to artists including Trisha Brown, José Limón, Alvin Ailey, Akram Khan, and Shobana Jeyasingh. Activities include commissioning new work, managing archives linked to companies like Scottish Dance Theatre and Hofesh Shechter Company, and mounting symposiums with institutions such as Tate Modern and Victoria and Albert Museum. Through partnerships with broadcasters like the BBC and streaming platforms involving Cannes Film Festival selections, the Trust amplifies choreographic works and historical documentation. It also curates exhibitions, publishes monographs on figures such as Ruth Page and Loie Fuller, and participates in biennials like the Venice Biennale.

Education and Training Programs

Education offerings range from short labs and masterclasses to multi-year residencies for companies associated with Siân Williams and practitioners trained at Codarts University for the Arts. The Trust runs outreach with community ensembles linked to venues including Southbank Centre and collaborates with conservatoires such as Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Apprenticeship schemes mentor performers influenced by choreographers like Jerome Robbins and Pina Bausch, while research fellowships partner with academic bodies such as Goldsmiths, University of London and University of Roehampton. Training modules cover repertory reconstruction informed by archives at National Archives (UK), notation workshops referencing Labanotation, and interdisciplinary labs involving artists from Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins.

Performances and Presentations

The Trust curates seasons across stages such as National Theatre, Gateshead Sage, Wiltons Music Hall, and international venues including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Centre Pompidou, Teatro Colón, and Sydney Opera House. Touring initiatives have featured collaborations with companies including Dutch National Ballet, Batsheva Dance Company, Munich Biennale, and Gauthier Dance//Company. The Trust presents retrospectives of choreographers like Merce Cunningham and Pina Bausch, often in partnership with festivals such as Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Dublin Dance Festival, and Helsinki International Ballet Competition. Film and digital screenings have been mounted at British Film Institute programmes and in partnership with networks like ARTE and NHK.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams combine public grants from entities such as Arts Council England, project grants from Creative Scotland, and European cultural funds including Creative Europe. Philanthropic support has come from foundations like the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Wellcome Trust (for interdisciplinary research), and private donors connected to trusts such as the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Partnerships include institutional alliances with Sadler's Wells Theatre, Royal Opera House, media partnerships with BBC Arts and Channel 4 Television Corporation, and international collaborations with bodies such as Asia-Europe Foundation and UNESCO cultural initiatives. Corporate sponsorships have involved companies engaging in creative patronage similar to programmes run by Barclays and HSBC.

Governance and Leadership

Governance follows a charitable board model with trustees drawn from arts leaders affiliated with organisations like Arts Council England, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Royal Opera House, British Council, and Dance UK. Executive leadership typically comprises a Director with a background in producing and curation, a Head of Artistic Programmes with links to companies such as Rambert, a Head of Archives collaborating with libraries like British Library, and a Director of Development with networks in philanthropic foundations including Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Advisory panels have included choreographers, dramaturgs, and scholars associated with Royal Holloway, University of London, University of Oxford, and conservatoires like Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

Category:Contemporary dance organizations