Next Stages is a series of practical, capacity-building workshops for dance artists and artists from other art forms, led by industry experts. Over two weekends, industry professionals will present insightful and hands-on sessions that will sharpen your skills, arm you with practical tools, give you valuable insight into the arts industry and support you in building a sustainable career.

Saturday 3 July

10am—12pm | How to Manage Your First Season
Beth Cross and Dan Koop

Everything you need to know when you plan your first show as an independent artist. Choosing the right time for the season, securing a venue, preparing the admin, ticketing, media and marketing aspects of the season, and surviving it all.

1pm—3pm | So You Want to Start a Dance Company?
Insite Arts

Starting a company can be daunting and it’s difficult to know where to start. This workshop provides an accessible guide through the pitfalls, challenges, joys and complexities of beginning a dance company. We will help you to write your own mission statement, understand might need to be involved (other than you) and explain the initial steps to get you started.

Sunday 4 July

10am—12pm | Budgets for Beginners
Josh Wright

Whether it is a provisional budget for a funding application, a show, or a tour, this workshop will have you covered with everything you need to know about budgets and more! Learn great template making and formatting tips, plus all questions to need to ask yourself when preparing a budget, including artist fees, production locations, insurances, contingencies and more.

1pm—3pm | Grants and Writing About Your Practice
Ashley Dyer

Everything you need to know about grants writing and writing about your work. Learn the basics of grant writing – writing style, how to choose the best support material, how to know what parts of your project are important (and which parts aren’t). This workshop will then guide you through the differences between grants writing and writing about your work. Writing about your work is not the same thing as writing a grant application, or writing to market your work or having others write about your work. Focus on getting the nuances right and learn to become your best advocate!

Your safety is our priority

We take your safety seriously and have put in place the following COVID safety measures to ensure you are able to feel free and have fun whilst dancing. 

• The capacity of each session is to ensure social distancing and to comply with the government directions (please note: we will continue to adhere to government restrictions, and will notify you directly if this affects this program)
• You are encouraged to bring your own water bottle 
• Markers and any other equipment will be thoroughly cleaned with disinfectant between each session