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Dancehouse stands on what always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We pay our respects to the traditional owners of this land, the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation, to their Elders past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

KCA 2022 Application Form and Guidelines

Overview

The Keir Choreographic Award (KCA) is a national biennial award dedicated to the commissioning, presentation and promotion of new Australian choreography.

Choreography in the 21st Century is an increasingly expanded and international field, incorporating a multiplicity of practices and production modes, and a diversity of aesthetic, philosophical and social perspectives. The KCA looks to identify and illuminate the most urgent and experimental choreographic practices occurring in the Australian context today.

The KCA public program, with its array of national and international jury members, panellists, guests and workshop leaders, runs concurrently with the performance season, providing a vital context for related and relevant discourse, reflection and debate.

Who is this for?

KCA invites Australian artists with a professional practice, to propose a choreographic idea for an original live performance work. Artists from across the career spectrum, from established to emerging, are encouraged to apply. Eight applicants will be selected to develop and present a completed live work in two cities in professionally supported conditions. The work must be between 16 and 20 minutes long and involve no more than five performers. Either the applicant OR one of the main collaborators MUST be a choreographer.

How it works

To enter, make a video (maximum 5 minutes) outlining a new choreographic idea. Each submitted application will be assessed by a jury of national and international industry peers. Eight artists will be commissioned to develop a work of up to 20-minutes over a five-month period — Feb to June 2022. Each artist will receive a $12,000 all-inclusive commissioning fee, for development and production costs. They will also receive 100 hours of free rehearsal space in the city or region in which they reside.

Each of the eight commissioned works will be presented at both Dancehouse, Melbourne, and Carriageworks, Sydney, before one is selected as a recipient of the $50,000 Keir Choreographic Award 2022. Additionally, audiences will vote for the recipient of the $10,000 Keir Choreographic 2022 Audience Award.


Key Dates

Applications Open: 9 November 2021
Applications Close: 5pm 13 December 2021
Unsuccessful Applicants Notified: 21 January 2022
Commissioned Artists Announced: 8 February 2022
New Works Developed: 8 February to 18 June 2022
Performance Seasons: 19 June to 3 July 2022

Download the ENTRY FORM

To apply upload your entry form using the link below

Apply now


How To Apply

  • Read the FULL APPLICATION GUIDELINES AND AWARD REGULATIONS  (Below)
  • Make a video of no longer than 5 minutes and no more than 2 gigabytes in file size presenting the choreographic idea. Upload your video to WeTransfer.
  • Download and complete the ENTRY FORM including a WeTransfer link and filling out the budget template
  • Submit your completed form here.
  • All entries must be received by 5pm Melbourne time, Monday 13 December 2021

Late or incomplete applications will NOT be considered.

Applications longer than 5 minutes will NOT be considered. 

All applicants will be notified on Friday 21 January 2022 of the jury’s decision. 

If commissioned, artists must be available for seasons at both Dancehouse and Carriageworks [inclusive of technical rehearsals and travel days] Sunday 19 June – Sunday 3 July 2022. 

Please note:

  • ALL artists selected for the Carriageworks season will present their work in both cities.
  • Your full touring party must be confirmed and disclosed when applying.  
  • Any additions to your touring party after selection will not be allowed.
  • Any changes to your artistic team after selection may not be permitted.
  • It is your responsibility to ensure that your WeTransfer link is working, downloadable and included in your application form.
  • Uploading large files to WeTransfer may take a while.  Please ensure you have enough time to submit your working link by the closing time.

For more information contact:

Ashley Dyer, Dancehouse Program Manager
[email protected]  / 03 9347 2860


Guidelines

Eligibility

KCA is open to Australian citizens or permanent residents who are:

  • Professional dancers or choreographers with an established practice working within dance 
  • Professional artists with an established practice in another art form proposing a choreographic idea and whose main collaborator is a choreographer with an established practice
  • The applicant must not be an undergraduate student of a tertiary institution for the duration of the competition (FEB – JUL 2022)
  • The choreographic idea proposed should involve no more than FIVE performers including the lead artist and/or choreographer
  • Your touring party is limited to the lead/artist and/or choreographer and those performing live in your work
  • All applicants and touring party members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have a medical exemption
  • The choreographic idea must be achievable within the outlined technical guidelines
  • Applicants must be available for both the season at Dancehouse and at Carriageworks (19 June–3 July 2022, Dancehouse and Carriageworks)
  • KCA Commissioned Artists from the 2020 edition are not eligible to be selected for the 2022 edition
  • KCA Commissioned Artists before the 2020 edition are welcome to apply again with a new project
  • Only one entry per individual artist will be accepted
  • All applications must be made by one, singular, Lead Artist/Choreographer
  • The works should be the original creation of the applicant and their collaborators
  • Work that has had previous public presentation [including showings, open studios etc.] or material that has been reworked, are ineligible
  • All commissioned works must be conceived to be performed live in the allocated spaces at Dancehouse (Sylvia Staehli Theatre) and Carriageworks (Bay 20); please take the time to familiarise yourself with the space specifications supplied before you apply
  • While film, video, animation and new technology may be elements within the live work, choreographic work created solely for the screen is ineligible
  • All commissioned works must be made within the limits of the commissioning budget. No additional funding or financial contributions from the artist are admissible

NOTE: Any variations to your proposed budget, your proposed collaborators, touring party and/ or key ideas after submitting your application must be first authorised by the commissioner.  Please ensure your collaborators and touring party are confirmed.  Changes after selection will not be permitted.

Jury & Selection Process

Dancehouse will check the eligibility of the submitted applications before forwarding them to the jury. KCA is assessed and awarded by a jury made up of national and international artists, curators, presenters and performance theorists. The 2022 KCA jury will assess the applications and select EIGHT works for commission. 

These eight short works will be presented at both Dancehouse and Carriageworks as shared programs featuring four works each performance. The 2022 KCA Jury will watch each performance twice, once in each city, before together selecting the winner of the 2022 Keir Choreographic Award of $50,000. Audiences will vote for the recipient of the 2022 Keir Choreographic Audience Award of $10,000 across both seasons. The winner of the KCA can not also be the winner of the Audience Award.

The minimum conditions for granting both Awards are that all eight works are performed at least once in the same city and seen live by a minimum of 3 jury members. If these conditions are unable to be met, then neither the Keir Choreographic Award or Audience Award will be granted.

The 2022 KCA and COVID-19

Dancehouse will work actively and transparently with all artists, employees, jury members and stakeholders to deliver a COVIDSafe and COVID resilient KCA in 2022. All artists, employees and contractors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have a medical exemption.

In the Awarding of the prizes, the Jury is empowered to assess the fairness of the Awards and the granting of the prizes. Digital recordings of all eight of the commissioned works may be made available to some jury members acknowledging that some jurors must also experience the live works.

Regardless of the conditions for granting the Award, the KCA is an important commissioning and presentation initiative. Dancehouse will endeavour to ensure no disadvantage to any Commissioned Artist and will prioritise the presentation of fully-realised commissioned works for either recording and/ or a live performance.  

In the event of COVID restrictions impeding travel, full participation of artists in rehearsals or seasons, or live performance, Dancehouse may postpone seasons or works and negotiate with commissioned artists to reschedule a live performance of the commissioned work at Dancehouse within 12 months. 


Your Application

Application Process

Entries must be in the name of a single person identified as the Commissioned Artist of the proposed work.

An email will be sent to confirm receipt of your entry no later than Monday 15 December 2021.
Entrants will be notified of the final outcome by Friday 21 January 2022.

Selection Criteria

  • Quality of the proposed idea — originality, imagination, creativity, clear articulation of the choreographic rationale, the intended physical material or movement vocabulary, notions of direction, staging, framing etc.
  • Potential of the idea to be realised by the lead artist and their team
  • Viability of the proposed project to be presented at, and toured to, both cities

The 2022 KCA jury members will also be encouraged to select a range of projects, from solos, to duos, to trios and quintets with a combined touring party, across all projects, of no more than 28 people. Ultimately, the jury will make choices based on their combined aesthetic tastes. As such, there will be no communication between the applicants and the Jury during the selection process and Dancehouse will not provide any feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Entry Form

To apply, submit a completed ENTRY FORM by the deadline. The ENTRY FORM must include:

  • A working WeTransfer link.
  • A completed Budget using the existing Template that details how you propose to spend the $12,000 commissioning fee: DO NOT attach a separate budget.
  • Your fully confirmed Artistic Team; clearly indicating who is performing in the work, which city each of the artists are living in and their correct contact details: email addresses and phone numbers.

Video

The aim of the video submission is to allow you to demonstrate and/or describe to the 2022 KCA Jury your choreographic idea. The video must include movement material. This can be complemented by speaking directly to camera or illustrated using images, music, or a combination of materials. The jury will assess the content of the choreographic idea rather than the quality of the video material – the video is merely a mechanism to convey your idea.

  • Please create a downloadable link using WeTransfer. 
  • When uploading your file WeTransfer will give you the option to ask for a link to your video file; please copy this link to your form.
  • Please note, once submitted, this file or link cannot be changed, edited or replaced.

Please DO NOT SUPPLY links to your existing portfolios or other works, the jury is assessing only the new idea you are applying with. 

We require that your video entries are:

  • no longer than 5 minutes;
  • no larger than 2 gigabytes in size;
  • submitted as a single file and single WeTransfer link;
  • submitted in the following file format: mp4 1080×1920

TIPS: Focus on clearly explaining the choreographic idea and the urgency behind it – How do you envisage embodying it both conceptually and corporeally? What is its possible affective quality – for you, the performers, the collaborators, the audience? How does it resonate with your existing practice, with history, with the field? In a nutshell: WHY THIS? WHY NOW? HOW? – Do not spend too much time, energy or money on editing or multi camera shoots. A single continuous shot is acceptable; iPhone camera quality is also acceptable as long as the material is legible and accessible. Less can be more sometimes.


Your Budget

Each applicant must submit a Commissioning Budget detailing how they propose to spend their all-inclusive $12,000 commissioning fee as part of their ENTRY FORM.  This fee is intended to cover your costs for creating the work and is split into three types of expenses: 1) Fees and Wages; 2) Superannuation and 3) Production Costs. 

When submitting your budget please only fill in the Budget Table contained within your ENTRY FORMDO NOT attach an additional separate document. 

Example Budget:

Notes on your budget

The budget is managed and administered by Dancehouse, in consultation with the Commissioned Artist. For the sake of fairness within the competition, please note the following:

  • Commissioned Artists cannot seek additional funding or invest their own funds to realise their work.
  • In-kind support can be used but is capped to a cash value of $5,000 and must be approved by the commissioners. In-kind support cannot include in-kind labour.  This will be discussed once artists have been selected.
  • Only members of your listed/paid touring party are allowed to be present in the theatre during the production weeks in both cities.

Variations to the submitted budget after successfully being selected may not be permitted and are subject to approval by Dancehouse.

Notes on fees and wages

  • Artists are welcome to allocate their budget any way they would like, including by paying themselves the full fee of $10,910 + superannuation.  If they choose to pay themselves the full fee they will be the only artist credited and the only artist travelling with the work.
  • Superannuation must be paid to any artist or collaborator that is paid a fee of greater than $450. 
  • Commissioned Artists and those performing live in the work will each receive presentation fees + superannuation payments in addition to those allocated by the Artist in their budget.  These additional fees will include where applicable per diems for both the 2022 KCA seasons in Melbourne and in Sydney.    
  • The Commissioned Artist will not, under any circumstances, be able to increase their touring party after selection.
  • Unfortunately, the commissioners are not able to support collaborators who reside outside of Australia or who don’t have the legal rights to work in Australia. KCA will cover all participating artists’ Workcover and Public Liability Insurance when working and or rehearsing at a KCA performance or rehearsal venue, so do not include this in your budget.
  • It is the responsibility of the Commissioned Artist to ensure the work conditions of their artistic team are safe, fair and equitable. Failure to ensure a safe, fair and equitable working environment may result in disqualification.
  • All lead artists must work with one of the two KCA Lighting Designers/Tour Managers. The KCA lighting designers will allocate equal time to each of the four Commissioned Artists’ works they are working with. Costs for the 2022 KCA dedicated lighting designer are covered by Dancehouse outside of your budget. Commissioned Artists should not engage, contract and allocate funds from their budget towards a lighting designer.

Notes on production and travel costs

  • Flight and accommodation costs associated with both seasons are managed and paid for in addition to the Artist’s Commissioning Budget by Dancehouse. However, any additional travel costs associated with rehearsals and the creation of the work must be budgeted by the lead Artist within their Commissioning Budget.  
  • Any set, costume or production items that don’t fit within the artist’s standard checked luggage of one 20kg item per touring party member, must be organised by, paid for and budgeted for within the artist’s production costs when applying.
  • Up to 100 hours of free rehearsal space will be allocated to each Commissioned Artist in the city or region that they reside in, as indicated in their ENTRY FORM. The costs of any additional rehearsal space must be paid for from the Commissioned Artists production budget.
  • Accessibility costs for both rehearsals and during seasons will be paid in addition to the Commissioning Budget for artists and teams to be negotiated and determined by Dancehouse.  Accessibility costs may include:  interpreters, support workers, childcare, travel support, some equipment or infrastructure.    
  • Any costs or fees allocated to a third party auspicer, financial or production management, and/or administrative, marketing or producing services are not permitted.
  • It is expected that the Commissioned Artist and their collaborators, if commissioned, agree to work within these budget parameters.  

Development Stage

If successful, the Commissioned Artists must develop and rehearse their proposed idea between February and June 2022 working and creating their work within the following limitations:

  • The final piece must be between 16 minutes minimum and 20 minutes maximum in length.
  • The works cannot have more than five performers (including lead artist and/or choreographer).
  • The Commissioned Artist must have confirmed their creative team including all performers when submitting their ENTRY FORM. Any changes to your creative team after submitting your application may not be permitted.
  • Each Commissioned Artist will receive a maximum of 100 hours of in-kind rehearsal space in their city or region. The Commissioned Artist will need to confirm with Dancehouse, their proposed rehearsal schedule and any variations to the concept when accepting the commissioning offer.  Any amendments to the artist’s rehearsal schedule after this date cannot be guaranteed.
  • Dancehouse will book all flights and accommodation for the Commissioned Artist and their travelling team for the presentation seasons in both Sydney and Melbourne immediately upon contracting in late January early February 2022.  After being booked, any changes to flight dates and times, and any additional fees or costs incurred must be paid for and managed by the Commissioned Artist.
  • Travel support for performers and collaborators required during the creative development stage but not located in the Commissioned Artist’s home city or region, are the responsibility of the Commissioned Artist and must be budgeted for within their Commissioning Budget.
  • The Commissioned Artist must develop the work by taking into consideration the technical guidelines for presentation at each venue and ensure that the final production complies with these guidelines. See below for more details.
  • The Keir Choreographic Award is intended to support works that are light and easy to tour.  Any and all freight of the artist’s set and/or costumes that does not fit into the artist’s standard 20kg checked luggage must be organised by the artist and factored into the artist’s Commissioning Budget.
  • The Commissioned Artist must work with one of the two 2022 KCA dedicated lighting designers to create a lighting design, plan and focus notes that comply with the technical limitations of each venue and within deadlines. See below for more details.
  • Applicants need to consider that many KCA commissions often result in touring opportunities after the competition and it is thus advised that the work be tourable.
  • The commissioners reserve the right to de-commission a work, should it deviate too far from the original application as selected by the jury. This may include radical changes to either the artistic vision of a work or its main collaborators.
  • Commissioned artists must conceive their work to be performed and adapted to both spaces: Sylvia Staehli Theatre, Dancehouse, Melbourne and Bay 20, Carriageworks, Sydney.

Presentation Stage

Each of the Eight Commissioned Artists present their works between 19 June and 3 July 2022 presenting in both Melbourne and Sydney.

  • Dancehouse and Carriageworks will pay season fees in addition to the Commissioning Budget. These season fees will cover bump in /tech rehearsal and shows for the Commissioned Artist and all performers in both cities.
  • In addition, Dancehouse will pay travel, accommodation and per diems for the Commissioned Artist and performers for the Melbourne and Sydney seasons. The maximum touring party for each work is FIVE including the lead artist.  
  • The Commissioners will not cover costs for fees, travel and accommodation for any other collaborators involved in the development stage (dramaturge, costume designer, sound designer etc).
  • There will be four performances of each commissioned work as part of a shared program featuring three other works at both Dancehouse and Carriageworks. This equates to 2 seasons and 8 performances total.
  • Each Commissioned Artist will present their work as a part of a quadruple bill for example: 

Artist A1 performs / 5min changeover / Artist A2 performs

INTERVAL

Artist B1 performs / 5min changeover / Artist B2 performs

  • For these purposes, each Commissioned Artist must conceive their work so that it can be set-up and struck within a 5-minute shared turnaround period that may occur in view of the audience. This includes, but is not limited to, placement of any items on the stage area. This is non-negotiable. Failure to conceive work that will allow for this condition may result in Commissioned Artists being required to simplify their production elements to satisfy this condition, or disqualification.

Production week and technical rehearsals

If accepted, all Commissioned Artists and performers MUST be available to attend all scheduled technical rehearsals, dress rehearsals and performances as outlined in the 2022 KCA production schedule as well as production meetings with the Dancehouse and Carriageworks production teams in the lead up to presentation by mutual arrangement.  Production meetings may be in person, or by phone or digitally on Zoom.

A production week and performance schedule, including travel dates, will be issued to all Commissioned Artists on Tuesday 8 February 2022.

Each Commissioned Artist will be allocated technical rehearsal time as follows: 

Season #1 Week Commencing Sunday June 19th

  • 5hrs: Bump-in/Plot/Tech (exclusive use)
  • 5hrs: Fix-ups/Commissioned Artist Dress Run (exclusive use)
  • 4hrs: Full Dress Rehearsal (all 4 Artists in your assigned program)

Season #2 Week Commencing Monday June 27th 

  • 5hrs: Bump-n/Plot/Tech (shared with one other artist) 
  • 2hrs: Additional rehearsal time (exclusive use)
  • 5hrs: Fix-ups/Commissioned Artist Dress Run (shared with one other artist)  
  • 2hrs: Full Dress Rehearsal  

It is the responsibility of the Commissioned Artist to complete all creative choreographic work and rehearsals prior to the scheduled bump-in day. It is the responsibility of the Commissioned Artist to achieve their technical and creative goals within the allocated time frames. All technical rehearsal periods are allocated for technical purposes only, additional time in the space/s may not be possible. 


Technical Guidelines

The Commissioned Artists will have to work with a general rig as provided by both venues. 

The 2022 KCA will provide two dedicated lighting designer/tour managers, one for each touring program of four works. The lighting designer will assist the Commissioned Artists in articulating and finalising their lighting plan and in adapting it to both spaces. Additionally, each venue will provide a Production Manager who will manage the seasons and one operator who will operate each work.

The Commissioned Artists must make themselves available to discuss their work with the 2022 KCA lighting designer/tour manager and other production team members of Dancehouse/Carriageworks as they develop their new work.  

The Commissioners reserve the right to require modifications to the proposed production elements or content of a Commissioned Artist’s work (for reasonable cause and within a reasonable timeframe) on the grounds of safety concerns, impracticality or if it causes unfair advantage/disadvantage to a particular Commissioned Artist.

No additional time in the space is possible outside the allocated technical periods.

There should not be any significant changes to the technical requirements of the work, from the Dress Rehearsal date onwards, i.e. the work’s technical elements — lighting and sound cues, props set and costume designs — should remain consistent throughout both Dancehouse and Carriageworks seasons. Minor amendments to the work itself will be allowed between Season #1 and Season #2 provided they are first discussed with the Commissioners and deemed achievable by all parties within the allocated technical time.  Failure to comply may result in disqualification.

Technical rehearsal time in the space is for technical purposes alone. Creative work or rehearsals should not be undertaken at this time.

Commissioned Artists must submit requested paperwork in detail to Dancehouse on or before the requested due dates — see below for deadlines — or face disqualification or restrictions to the production elements available to them. This includes:

  • Technical Rider form (including full equipment list)
  • Cue lists (Audio, Video, Lighting)
  • APRA licensing application form
  • Risk Assessment
  • Audio/Video files in cueing order and in requested format
  • Any audience warnings that must accompany the work

Any significant changes, additions or requests to the submitted technical requirements of a Commissioned Artist after the stated submission dates may not be accepted.

Equipment

Any equipment required that is not comparable in both type and/or quantity offered by Dancehouse/ Carriageworks must be provided by the Commissioned Artist and included in their commissioning budget (with the approval of Dancehouse/Carriageworks). This includes all design elements as well as any additional specific technical equipment.

All design and technical elements and equipment used in the performance of the work are subject to approval by Dancehouse/Carriageworks. This includes but is not limited to: any and all electrical equipment, large set items, items requiring rigging, use of potentially hazards elements such as fire, smoke, liquids, heavy or hazardous objects.

Workplace health and safety

  • All employees, Commissioned Artists, jury members and contractors must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have a medical exemption. All participants will undertake COVIDSafety inductions across venues and sites and will actively work and adapt to these plans and requirements. 
  • All electrical equipment must be tested and tagged and deemed safe to use in the venues by the Venue Production Manager. Tagging and testing can be done by the Dancehouse and Carriageworks’ Venue Manager but should be factored into budgets and production schedules accordingly. 
  • All Commissioned Artists will be required to develop a risk assessment for their work in collaboration with the Venue Production Managers. 
  • All Commissioned Artists and collaborators must adhere to the standard conditions of use when working in each venue and attend the induction session on the first day of work in the space.
  • All Commissioned Artists must complete the Risk Management Assessment form provided by the commissioners in a timely fashion.
  • No items may be fixed or adhered to the floors or walls of the performance spaces.  Any damage to the building or equipment as a result of activities undertaken by the Commissioned Artists or their collaborators may result in a penalty fee to cover damage and/or possible disqualification from the competition.
  • Suspension of any objects or persons from the venue’s rigs requires the Commissioned Artist to provide a qualified rigger to assess and manage the safety of the activity (paid for from the Commissioned Artist’s commissioned budget), and a copy of the relevant paperwork must be given to the Production Managers by the due date for Technical Rider. All such activities are subject to approval by the Venue Production Managers.

Code of Conduct

All artists and their teams will be employed by Dancehouse for the duration of their engagement and must abide by Dancehouse’s Code of Conduct. This Code of Conduct affirms Dancehouse’s belief in responsible social and ethical behaviour. Dancehouse expects cooperation from all persons engaged with Dancehouse in conducting themselves in a professional, ethical and socially acceptable manner of the highest standards. This policy clarifies the standards of behaviour that Dancehouse expects of all employees, artists, contractors, volunteers, general public, venue users, and all others engaged in activity at Dancehouse or Dancehouse offsite programs. 

The Keir Choreographic Award is a celebration of Australian dance and dance artists and relies on fair and equitable participation from all parties: Dancehouse, Commissioned Artists and teams. Unfair and untransparent conduct or any behaviour including misleading, bullying, harassment, discrimination, verbal abuse, missed deadlines, non-communication, no shows to rehearsals, slander or defamation of Dancehouse or the KCA’s good reputation is a breach of this code of conduct and may result in disqualification from the KCA and immediate termination of agreements. 

Production team

Each artist will be assigned one technician and one mechanist for the season who will assist the Commissioned Artist and their collaborators with the technical set-up, rehearsal, operation and presentation of the work.

While venues will provide advice and technical support, it is the responsibility of the Commissioned Artist to provide the appropriately qualified personnel for any technology needed for the realisation of their work.  Designers and consultants must be available in person or on the phone during the Technical Rehearsal periods. 

Intoxication and/or the consumption of alcohol and drugs in venues during working hours will not be tolerated and may result in disqualification. 

All personnel are expected to work in a professional, safe, cooperative and respectful way with other artists, venue staff, volunteers, jury members and other KCA stakeholders and participants with a view to promoting an environment supporting the creation of artwork and the nurturing of relationships within the expanded Australian choreographic community.

Lighting

STANDARD RIG

All Commissioned Artists will have access to the same fixed general lighting rig, which cannot be moved or refocused. This standard rig will be replicated, as closely as is practical, in both venues. 

The Standard Rig will include: 

  • Warm wash
  • Cool wash
  • LED colour cyclorama wash
  • LED colour top.side wash
  • LED colour top.front row wash
  • House and entry lights

NOTE ON LX SPECIALS: Each Commissioned Artist will be allowed a maximum of four (4) conventional theatre lights to use as personal ‘specials’ in conversation with the 2022 KCA dedicated Lighting Designer. This may include floor lights provided they can be reasonably set-up/ struck within the 5-minute turnaround period, and subject to approval of the Production Manager at each venue. These fixtures will be integrated as part of the shared lighting rig and will be used exclusively. Using other Commissioned Artists’ lighting ‘specials’ is not permitted.

Audio

Standard fixed PA set-up will be provided to Commissioned Artists in each venue and includes:

DANCEHOUSE

  • 1x 16 channel audio mixer
  • 1x Audio sound card (18 inputs / 20 outputs)
  • 2x FOH speakers (flown)
  • 2x Speakers rear of audience (flown)
  • 1x Sub speaker (located underneath the seating bank)

CARRRIAGEWORKS 

  • 1x Audio Mixer 
  • 4x L-Acoustics Long Throw speakers
  • 2x Sub speakers

Staging

DANCEHOUSE

  • Cyclorama- a white cyclorama will be hung, as standard, along the upstage wall in front of the proscenium arch. This may be covered with black drapes, but cannot be moved, removed or changed.

CARRIAGEWORKS

  • will be hung on the furthermost upstage position and may be covered with black drapes, but cannot be moved, removed or changed.

Stage flooring

White Tarkett as standard. It cannot be moved, removed or changed.

Operation Desk

At Dancehouse the technical operation desk will be positioned on the rear-most tier of the seating bank (behind audience), on the S.L-prompt side. At Carriageworks it will be positioned in the bio box.

Any requests for technical operation to occur elsewhere (eg for onstage musicians), must be installed and struck within the 5-minute turnaround time limit. This is subject to approval by the Production Manager.  

Drapes

Black woollen stage drapes on tracks are available for use in each space. They can fully or partially cover walls either side of the performance area and/or the cyclorama/screen hung along upstage wall. 

Storage

Commissioned Artists’ performance equipment and design elements must be safe, in good working order, easily moveable and fit into a maximum area of 2m x 2m. Items may not be stored at either venue until the first scheduled Bump-In day (unless otherwise negotiated).

Technical problems

In the event of the Commissioned Artist believing that their work has been compromised by a technical failure or an operator error during performance, the jury will decide if the work needs to be re-presented for judging purposes. The jurys’ decision is final. 

Copyright

The use of any and all copyright material in performance must be submitted to the Venue Production Managers by the requested date in order to get required licensing.

Communications, marketing and publicity

Commissioned Artists agree to undertake promotional activity for the 2022 Keir Choreographic Award subject to availability between January and July 2022

Footage for documentation and promotional activities of both the completed work and rehearsals may be filmed and broadcast by Dancehouse and the Commissioners without payment or permission from the artists involved. 

Credits

The Commissioned Artists shall ensure that the credit line below is included on all marketing materials including but not limited to media releases, print, brochures, programs, videos and web-based publicity for all subsequent performances of the work.

The credit line should be included all advertisements except where space is so limited that no funding or commissioning credits are included.

Credit line:  Commissioned by Dancehouse and the Keir Foundation for the 2022 Keir Choreographic Award.

Documentation

Video and photographic documentation of each work will be created and broadcast on Sunday 3 July and then on Dancehouse’s online channels into the future.

Commissioned Artists will be given a raw copy of the recording (un-edited) and a copy of the trailer. Commissioned Artists will also be given a selection of Hi-Res images of their work. If the Commissioned Artists decide to use these images on any kind of support (print or web), they must agree to credit the photographer. 

If any of the Commissioned Artists requires additional documentation of their works this will only be possible during the Commissioned Artist’s exclusive access dress rehearsals in the first season of the work and is subject to the approval of the Production Manager. This will not be able to take place during the combined dress rehearsals nor during performances as part of the season proper at either Carriageworks or Dancehouse. No additional time in the space will be granted for personal documentation by the Commissioned Artists and no complimentary tickets will be granted for the Commissioned Artists’ documentation. 

Key production deadlines

1 February 2022:  Choreographic Statement Finalised
8 February 2022: Commissioned Artists Announced
9 February 2022: Introduction Meeting Day (compulsory)
Dancehouse to provide Commissioned Artists with: Technical Rider Form, General Lighting and Technical Set up plans

8 February to 18 June 2022: Meetings with KCA Lighting Designer/Tour Manager
9 May 2022: Technical Rider Form Due
Artists to provide: full equipment lists, complete design elements – set, props, etc. and a basic lighting plan with focus notes,  developed in dialogue with the KCA Lighting Designers

16 May 2022: Key Production Information Deadline
Dancehouse to provide: final running order and performance and production schedules for both cities.
Artists to provide: Cue lists (audio, video, lighting), Audio/Video Files in cueing order and in requested format,  OneMusic Licensing Application forms and Risk Assessment.


The Keir Choreographic Award is a partnership between Dancehouse, The Keir Foundation and the Australia Council for the Arts, with presenting partner Carriageworks.

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