Sadler's Wells Presents

Sadler's Wells Presents
Name	Sadler's Wells Presents
Type	Presentation and touring arm
Founded	2011
Headquarters	Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
Key people	Alistair Spalding, Ros Warby
Industry	Performing arts
Products	Dance productions, tours, co-productions

Sadler's Wells Presents is the presentation and touring division of Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, responsible for commissioning, co-producing and touring contemporary and classical dance work across the United Kingdom and internationally. It operates in close collaboration with international companies, producing houses and cultural institutions to mount seasons, festivals and single engagements, and to shepherd productions from studio to stage and onward to national and international tours. The organisation works with major venues, festivals and broadcasters to extend the reach of dance performance and to develop new audiences.

History

Sadler's Wells Presents was established as a distinct presentation and touring initiative associated with Sadler's Wells Theatre during the tenure of artistic director Alistair Spalding to professionalise touring, commissioning and co-production activity across the UK and overseas. Its formation built on historical links between Sadler's Wells and landmark institutions such as Royal Opera House, English National Ballet, Royal Ballet, Riverside Studios and Roundhouse (venue), while drawing on international relationships with companies like BalletBoyz, Rambert Dance Company, Royal Shakespeare Company, Goes to Rio Festival, Paris Opera Ballet, Batsheva Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Martha Graham Dance Company. Early initiatives focused on bridging London's programming with regional platforms including NT Live, Glyndebourne, The Lowry, Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Hippodrome and arts festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Cheltenham Music Festival.

Mission and Programming

The mission foregrounds commissioning, presenting and touring ambitious work by choreographers and companies such as Akram Khan Company, Wayne McGregor, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Crystal Pite, Richard Alston, Matthew Bourne, Carlos Acosta, Russell Maliphant, Shobana Jeyasingh, Carlos Cruz-Diez and Joaquín De Luz. Programming strands embrace contemporary choreography, cross-disciplinary projects with Björk, Damon Albarn, Anish Kapoor, Ralph Fiennes, William Shakespeare, T. S. Eliot, and revivals of canonical repertory from Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, and Jerome Robbins. Sadler's Wells Presents curates seasons that link to broadcasters and producers including BBC Arts, Channel 4, Sky Arts, The Guardian, and funders such as Arts Council England and private patrons like Baroness Goodwin-style donors and foundation partners.

Venues and Touring Partners

The touring model relies on partnerships with regional and international venues including Sadler's Wells Theatre, Barbican Centre, Royal Albert Hall, The Old Vic, Sadler's Wells East, Houston Theater District venues, Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Palais Garnier, Teatro alla Scala, Municipal Theatre of São Paulo, Bolshoi Theatre, National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing), Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Southbank Centre, The Lowry, Curve Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Nottingham Playhouse and festival platforms such as Edinburgh International Festival, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and Montreal International Jazz Festival. Co-production and distribution partners include Sadler's Wells Global Dance Network-style consortia, independent promoters, municipal arts offices and international presenters like Sadler's Wells Worldwide collaborators.

Notable Productions and Collaborations

Productions presented and toured have included collaborations between choreographers and artists associated with Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor, Crystal Pite, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Matthew Bourne, Russell Maliphant, Shobana Jeyasingh, Carlos Acosta and companies such as Rambert, Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Cuba and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Interdisciplinary projects have linked choreographers with composers and creators like Max Richter, Olafur Arnalds, Philip Glass, Nitin Sawhney, Nick Cave, Coldplay members, visual artists such as Anish Kapoor and directors from Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. Landmark co-productions have toured to venues including Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera House, Palais Garnier and were promoted via media partners such as BBC Two and Sky Arts.

Education and Community Outreach

The organisation runs outreach programmes in partnership with institutions like Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Royal Academy of Dance, Imperial College London's public engagement teams, and community partners including local arts development agencies, youth theatres and social enterprises like Stopgap Dance Company and D/Deaf Theatre initiatives. Education activity links with national schemes such as Artsmark and collaborates with schools, colleges and higher education departments at University of the Arts London, University of Oxford, King's College London and University of Manchester to develop curriculum resources, workshops, artist residencies and trainee schemes.

Funding and Governance

Funding streams draw on public bodies and private supporters including Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund, local authority cultural services, philanthropic foundations, corporate sponsors and individual benefactors connected to major trusts. Governance is overseen by boards and executive leadership aligned with governance models used by Sadler's Wells Theatre and other arts charities such as Royal Opera House Trust and National Theatre Trust, incorporating trustees with backgrounds from British Council, Ballet Association-style organizations, legal advisers, finance directors and artistic advisors. Operational governance coordinates with producing partners, touring promoters and strategic partners to manage commissioning budgets, touring logistics and intellectual property rights with unions and collective bargaining entities.

Category:Performing arts in London