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| Restless Dance Theatre | |
|---|---|
| Name | Restless Dance Theatre |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | Sally Chance |
| Location | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Genre | Contemporary dance, inclusive dance |
Restless Dance Theatre is an Australian contemporary dance company based in Adelaide, South Australia, known for pioneering inclusive dance by integrating performers with and without intellectual disability into professional productions. The company has developed a distinctive roster of works, collaborations, and outreach programs that intersect with national institutions and international festivals while contributing to disability arts networks and cultural policy discussions. Restless has worked with choreographers, composers, visual artists and presenters across Australia and abroad, presenting at major venues and events and influencing inclusive practices in performing arts institutions.
Founded in 1991 by Sally Chance, Restless emerged amid developments in Australian arts funding linked to bodies such as the Australia Council for the Arts and state arts organisations like the South Australian Government arts units. Early residencies and collaborations involved Adelaide-based companies and venues including Windmill Theatre Company, State Opera of South Australia, and the Adelaide Festival Centre. Restless toured regionally to partnerships with organisations such as Country Arts SA and nationally to presenters including Sydney Festival, Melbourne Festival, and Brisbane Festival. International exchanges have connected Restless to festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and collaborators from the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada. Over its history, Restless navigated changes in leadership, municipal support from the City of Adelaide, and policy shifts at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet influencing disability inclusion and the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Institutional networks extended to training organisations including Flinders University, University of South Australia, and conservatoires like the Victorian College of the Arts.
Restless’s aesthetic draws on contemporary choreographers and interdisciplinary artists such as Chunky Move, Tanja Liedtke, Bangarra Dance Theatre, and guest choreographers from companies like Sydney Dance Company and Australian Dance Theatre. Works often engage composers, visual artists and dramaturgs associated with institutions such as the Australian Music Centre and galleries including the Art Gallery of South Australia. Repertoire addresses narrative and abstract forms, employing choreographic methods informed by inclusive practice seen in international peers like Candoco Dance Company and AXIS Dance Company. Productions have been presented in venues ranging from the Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide to festivals such as Ten Days on the Island and the Next Wave Festival, and have incorporated multimedia collaborations with sound designers and filmmakers connected to networks like ABC Arts and the Sundance Film Festival circuit.
Administrative structures encompassed an artistic director, executive director and board governance drawing trustees from the arts sector, disability advocacy organisations and higher education, with links to entities like the Australia Council for the Arts and philanthropic supporters such as the Besen Family Foundation and Ian Potter Foundation. Partnerships with presenting organisations including Adelaide Festival, Carriageworks, and regional presenters informed touring strategies. Restless engaged producers, stage managers and technical crews who also worked with institutions like State Theatre Company South Australia and commercial theatres in Melbourne and Sydney. Governance responded to regulatory frameworks involving agencies such as the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and sector peak bodies including Dance/Work and Ausdance.
The company’s ensemble has included performers with intellectual disability alongside non-disabled professional dancers trained at institutions like The University of Melbourne, Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, and Curtin University. Restless developed training programs and workshops in partnership with community organisations such as Nursing Homes Australia-linked initiatives and disability services providers, and with tertiary partners including Flinders University and the University of South Australia. Mentorships, apprenticeships and vocational pathways connected participants to professional networks including Perth Festival and employment programs linked to the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Guest teaching and residencies have included artists from Meryl Tankard Company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, and international inclusive companies such as Graeae Theatre Company.
Restless ran community programs, school workshops and outreach projects partnering with educational institutions like the Department for Education (South Australia), arts organisations including Carclew Youth Arts Centre, and disability advocacy groups such as People with Disability Australia and National Disability Services. Projects linked to health and wellbeing initiatives engaged organisations like SA Health and community arts networks such as Regional Arts Australia. The company’s educational offerings encompassed teacher development, professional development for artists, and collaborative projects presented in community festivals and public spaces co-curated with local councils including the City of Marion and City of Tea Tree Gully.
Restless and its artists have received nominations and awards from national institutions including the Helpmann Awards, the Australia Council Arts Achievement Awards, and state-based arts prizes administered by the South Australian Ruby Awards and Adelaide Critics Circle. Recognition also came via grants and fellowships from bodies such as the Ian Potter Foundation, inclusion awards from disability arts networks like DAWN (Disability Advocacy Network), and programming invitations to international festivals including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Next Wave Festival. The company’s impact is cited in cultural policy reviews by agencies like the Australia Council for the Arts and in academic research from universities such as Flinders University and University of South Australia.
Category:Dance companies in Australia Category:Arts organisations based in Adelaide