Dancehouse and Wellesley Studios are delighted to each offer a residency opportunity in 2026 to extend relationships between Australian and New Zealand dance artists. 

Our shared ambition is to build and extend creative relationships, networks, collaborations, and opportunities across the Tasman through well-timed and well-hosted annual residencies (2025-2027).  This is the second year of the Trans Tasman Dance Exchange with Amber McCartney (Aus) and Joshua Faleatua (NZ) participating in 2025.

Annually, each organisation will host an international artist from the other country for a 2-week residency: Dancehouse will host an artist from New Zealand, and Wellesley Studios will host an artist from Australia. 

The New Zealand artist is offered: 

• Up to 2-weeks of studio space at the Dancehouse host venue;
• 2-weeks stipend of NZD $1,400 per week;
• 2 weeks of per diems @ NZ$500 per week;
• NZ$700 contribution to flights;
• NZ $250 for airport transfers;
• NZ$2,000 accommodation allowance.

The Australian artist is offered:

• Up to 2-weeks of studio space at the Wellesley Studios host venue;
• 2-weeks stipend of AUD $1,300 p/w;  
• 2-weeks of per diems AUD $476.46 p/w; 
• 1 x return international flight between Auckland and Melbourne;
• Accommodation for 2-weeks when on residence;
• Free attendance at Independance classes;
• Airport transfers.

The timing of the residency is proposed by the artist based on availability. 

In addition to the active studio based full-time residency, artists are welcome to leverage residency opportunities with local engagements, activities, projects, presentations, collaborations or opportunities in each city. 

The successful artists will be required to offer a workshop, masterclass or exchange opportunity for local artists as part of their residency, and to offer a sharing or showing at the end of the residency to invited guests.  

>> Read further for more information about eligibility requirements, how to apply, and specific residency information and local city contexts.

ABOUT THE PARTNERS

Dancehouse (Naarm / Melbourne) is Australia’s only presenting and producing house dedicated solely to the year-round presentation of dance by and with independent dance artists and communities. Dancehouse represents a diversity of visions, practices, and generations committed to the expression, development and celebration of dance artists, and the artform itself. 

Wellesley Studios Dance House (Tāmaki Makaurau /Auckland)  is a purpose-built facility supporting the creativity and growth of Aotearoa’s dance and performing arts community. Located in the heart of Auckland’s theatre district, Wellesley Studios is a hub for connection and innovation, providing an inclusive environment where artists can train, collaborate and push boundaries.

ELIGIBILITY NOTES

• The opportunity is open to practicing independent choreographers with a strong track-record of dance projects and works.
• All dance artists, forms, and practices are welcome.
• This opportunity is available for both Australian and New Zealand residents. Artists must be resident in their “home” country for at least 1 year before applying for the respective international residency. 
• Multiple artists may apply for the residencies but there is only financial provision for ONE artist per residency — please outline how you will support, share, or leverage other resources or opportunities to make the residency viable.
• Please note that there is no provision for additional travel i.e. domestic/ internal flights for artists outside of Auckland and Melbourne.
• The residency must be fully undertaken in the 2026 calendar year. 
• Local collaboration or engagement with artists, communities and/ or audiences when on residence is encouraged.
• Artists are welcome to leverage the residency opportunity i.e. by building the residency into an existing tour or project, presentation opportunity, or timing the residency with local events, festivals or contexts.
• Australian artists with a confirmed Dancehouse presentation in 2026 or 2027 are not eligible for the residency at Wellesley Studios for the development of that project.
• Residencies are not necessarily project or outcomes focused but artists with a clear rationale, purpose, and approach to local collaboration, engagement, leverage or opportunity around their residency will be prioritised.
• Residencies will likely happen from February 2026 onwards. 

HOW TO APPLY

Artists may submit ONE expression of interest for this residency opportunity.

The EOI uses an online Airtable form (you don’t need to log-in or set-up an account).

The Airtable form requires your basic contact information, bio, and preferred dates. The main part of the EOI is a single YOUR RESIDENCY proposal as either:

• A 2-page document about YOUR RESIDENCY (Word or PDF only); OR
• A link to a downloadable 5-min video about YOUR RESIDENCY (Vimeo, YouTube, WeTransfer only)

YOUR RESIDENCY

The majority of the application will be the YOUR RESIDENCY attachment (either a 2-page document, or a 5-min proposal video). 

This attachment is freeform and should give Dancehouse, Wellesley Studios, and the assessors a clear sense of who you are, what you plan to do during the residency, and why, when, and how you’d like to undertake it. 

The residency structure and purpose is yours to define. 

The application is freestyle: please express in the way that best supports you and your proposal ensuring you include both creative and practical information.

You are encouraged to include images, hyperlinks, writing, bios, visual, and or video material in the YOUR RESIDENCY attachment (2-page document, or 5-minute video).

No budget is required.

Here are some prompts …

• WHO are you as an artist? Tell us about your dance training, history and lineage.
• SHOW us a link of a recent performance that you created or performed in
• WHAT do you plan to do on residence? How will you spend your time? 
• HOW will this residency allow you to better connect, collaborate, create with the local city, artists, communities, or contexts you are visiting?
• HOW will this residency extend your practice, relationships, projects, or capacity?
• WHO specifically will you connect with on the residency? Names are helpful.
• WHY is this residency opportunity exciting to you? 
• WHY now? Why is this a timely opportunity?
• WHEN would you like to go? And why then? 
• DO you have any specific requirements, conditions or considerations for your residency e.g. working with collaborators, additional travel or connections, community engagement, access needs, technical or spatial requirements, or non-availability?

SELECTION PROCESS

The partners: Dancehouse and Wellesley Studios, will both review and appraise applications with the advice of 1-2 independent Australian and New Zealand artistic advisors. 

The application form and process is the same for both New Zealand artists applying for the Dancehouse residency, and Australian artists applying for the Wellesley Studios residency.

Applicants may be invited to a short online zoom/ phone conversation for the partners to hear more about the proposal, and to discuss pertinent availability and logistics before a decision is reached.

The invited Residencies will go to the artists who best evidence:

• A generous, collaborative, and exciting choreographic practice and project; 
• A specific, timely, and exciting residency proposal;
• An exciting potential opportunity for them and the local artists, communities, and/ or audiences; and
• Be viable with strong potential to further networks, connections, collaborations and exchange between Australia and New Zealand in the future.

KEY DATES

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST OPEN / Monday 8 September 2025

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CLOSE / 5pm (Melbourne time) Friday 10 October 2025

OUTCOMES ADVISED BY / 7 November 2025

RESIDENCIES TO BE UNDERTAKEN / Throughout 2026

QUESTIONS?

Efren Pamilacan, Program Manager, Dancehouse
[email protected] +61 3 9347 2860

Shona McCullagh, Creative Producer – Residencies, Wellesley Studios
[email protected] + 64 27 277 9326

SPECIFIC RESIDENCY INFORMATION

VENUES / STUDIOS
Dancehouse is a heritage Victorian building in North Carlton on unceded Wurundjeri Country. Dancehouse has three spaces: Sylvia Staehli Theatre (a black box theatre), Upstairs Studio (white box space), and Skylab (a small studio). As a working year-round theatre, Dancehouse can provide basic production and technical equipment and support if required.

Wellesley Studios is a transformed 1960s warehouse in central Auckland. It offers three large, well equipped professional dance studios, shower and changing facilities, a community meeting space and green room.

ACCESSIBILITY
The Dancehouse Sylvia Staehli Theatre is fully accessible. Other spaces (Upstairs Studio and Skylab) are accessible only via an internal staircase. 

Wellesley Studios is fully accessible featuring a flat entry at the rear and a wheelchair lift between levels. All floors are flat, doors open easily, and ground-level changing rooms include wheelchair-accessible showers and toilets. A dedicated disabled parking space is also available.

RESIDENCY AVAILABLE / TIMING PARAMETERS
Dancehouse spaces are open 7am-11pm but have varying availability and times because of existing hires and uses. Dancehouse will need to negotiate with the invited resident artist noting that different spaces may be available and space will not likely have standard full-time availability (9am-5pm, Mon-Fri).

Wellesley Studios Residency hours will be between 9am – 5pm Mon – Fri with some flexibility and variation depending on studio availability. Independance classes run on selected evenings and Saturday mornings. 

ACCOMMODATION
Both Dancehouse and Wellesley Studios will consult with the successful resident artist to find convenient and appropriate accommodation nearby to the venue. 

GETTING THERE AND AROUND
Dancehouse is accessible by tram, bike, car and by walking from the Melbourne CBD and the inner-Northern suburbs.

Wellesley Studios is located centrally on Wellesley St, Auckland. It is easily accessible by major bus routes, car and within walking distance of the inner city venues.

REQUIREMENTS OF EACH RESIDENCY

• Meeting with host organisation
• An informal sharing at the end of the residency to invited guests. This can be as formal or informal as the artist chooses and may be any form of showing/ conversation/ enquiry/ engagement at the end of the residency
• A debrief conversation with Dancehouse and Wellesley Studios following the residency

SOME KEY CONTEXTS IN TAMAKI MAKAURAU / AUCKLAND 2025

• Auckland Pride Festival: 1 February – 1 March 2026
• Lantern Festival: TBC likely February 2025
• PANNZ: annual performing arts market — 4-6 March 2026
• Auckland Arts Festival: 5-22 March 2026 — annual international arts festival
• Pasifika Festival: 14-15 March 2026 — annual celebration of the best of 11 Pacific island nations with traditional and contemporary dance, music, art and food
• Polyfest: TBC likely March 2026 — annual secondary schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival
• Pacific Dance Festival: TBC likely June 2026 — celebrating the vibrant tapestry of Pacific culture
• Matariki Festival: 4-25 July TBC — the rise of the Matariki star cluster in the winter skies signifies the start of the Māori new year. Celebrations are held across Aotearoa for two weeks around the public holiday of 10 July
  
• Koanga Festival: Spring Māori theatre festival held at Te Pou theatre in Henderson, September each year
  
• Auckland Fringe Festival: TBC September 2026 — a cross-artform and large-scale open access festival across the city advocating inclusivity, innovation, experimentation, and celebration of otherness
  
• Tempo Dance Festival: October 2026
• Diwali Auckland: 11-12 October 2026 

OUTSIDE OF AUCKLAND, OTHER REGIONAL FESTIVALS INCLUDE: 

• Feb/March: Hamilton Arts Festival: 20 February-1 March 2026 | Aotearoa NZ Festival (biennial) in Wellington (2026): 25 February-15 March 2026 | NZ Fringe Festival, Wellington: 13 Feb-7 March 2026
• March: WOMAD in New Plymouth, 13-15 March 2026; Nelson Fringe Festival, 5-14 March 2026
• March/Apri : Wānaka Festival of Colour 27-29 March 2026
• September: Aronui Festival, Rotorua
• October: Nelson Arts Festival 

SOME KEY CONTEXTS IN NAARM / MELBOURNE 2026

• Midsumma Festival: annual queer arts and cultural organisation and festival 18 January – 8 February 2026
• Season 1 @ Dancehouse: February—March 2025 a series of shows, events and programming offers from Dancehouse (note that residency space may be limited)
• Out of Bounds: a choreographic ideas sharing platform of works in progress in partnership with Lucy Guerin Inc, 18-19 April 2026
• Rising & Australian Dance Biennial: an annual major festival of new art, performance and music 27 May-8 June 2026 (note that residency space may be limited)
• Season 2 @ Dancehouse: July – August a series of shows, events and programming offers from Dancehouse (note that residency space may be limited)
• Now or Never: Art, ideas, sound and technology focussed annual festival around August/ September.
• Melbourne Fringe: a cross-artform and large-scale open access festival across the city September — October 2026 (note that residency space may be limited)