Image by Ben Cobham.

Dancehouse’s inaugural Compositions Commission for 2025 is Fade by Michelle Heaven, Madeleine Flynn and Tim Humphrey.

The Compositions Commission has been established to inspire collaborations between music/sound artists and choreographers to create new kinds of sonic/choreographic works. Fade was commissioned through a highly-competitive process by an independent panel of sound and choreographic artists: Alisdair Macindoe, Biddy Connor, Kelly Ryall and Julie Minaai.

Fade

Fade is an investigation into the impermanence of things, and the silence that ensues. The processes of becoming more or less bright, more or less loud — the flicker; over exposure to sunlight; loss of signal strength. The space between two emphatic points such as the beginning and end; a transit through the middle. Spectres, ghosts, and the elongated suspension of fading in and out of the audible range opens the possibility of illusions via both body and sound. 

Heaven, Flynn and Humphrey will experiment with affecting and redirecting sound-waves, signals, and obstacles that may shadow, affect, and stifle the transmission of sound and motion. Playing with directionality and real and imagined acoustics and their implications for physical motivation. 

This is a first stage creative development for this new work and also a first-time collaboration for these artists, each known for their artistic integrity, high-quality productions, and investigations in new forms of practice.

COMMISSIONING NEW SOUND & MOVEMENT

Dancehouse’s commission for the creation of new sound and movement collaborations and works.

The Compositions Commission has been created to inspire collaborations between music/sound artists and choreographers to create new kinds of sonic/choreographic works. 

The Compositions Commission is offered annually and provides an equal commission to both a music/sound artist, and a choreographer, alongside an additional project budget to spend on their work. The project budget may support collaborators (performers, dancers, musicians, equipment or design), production and technical equipment, or travel support.

The Compositions Commission is envisioned as an annual offer with news to be announced in the second half of 2025 for the 2026 Compositions Commission opportunity.