[Deadline Passed] CALL OUT: Dancer Call Out
/Call out opens: 15 April 2021
Deadline: Midday, 7th May 2021
Dumfries and Galloway dance is looking to recruit three dancers with over three years touring/performance experience, who have a relationship to or are based in Scotland, for a six month contract June-November 2021. Fixed fee £13,200, accommodation and travel provided where required.
Dumfries and Galloway is a region built by communities with a strong history of grassroots arts projects.
Dumfries and Galloway Dance aims to grow and support the region’s dance ecosystem, with a specific focus on ensuring that residents have access to watch dance regularly, creating a clear career route for local young dancers and promoting the brilliant activity that already takes place here.
The project is funded by the Holywood Trust and Creative Scotland’s Touring Fund, delivered in partnership with Dance Base. Funding from Creative Scotland was initially intended to develop a region-wide programme of bimonthly dance touring. However, we have responded to the restrictions of Covid-19 by facilitating monthly online watch parties, paying over twenty Screen Dance Makers to share their work over the year, and growing the community interested in watching and discussing dance.
We are now looking to expand this programme by developing outdoor pop up performances for touring the region. To deliver this, we are looking to recruit three freelance dancers to work with us over a six month period. We are looking for these dancers to be resident in the region, so that dance can still be toured if Covid guidelines change.
Pop Up Season
In response to the potential change in Covid guidelines we are looking to tour five new or existing works across Dumfries and Galloway from July - November 2021. One of these will be created by Dumfries and Galloway Dance Lead Artist Emma Jayne Park, and four will be created by choreographers selected following application to an open call.
Dancers will work with each choreographer for two weeks to create a performance that is adaptable to a variety of outdoor sites in the region. The dancers will then tour this work across the region for two weeks, popping up in a variety of places from the middle of fields, to outside schools and as part of other arts events in the region.
During this period the dancers will collaborate with the Dumfries and Galloway Dance team to collate a database of information about places that dance can pop up so that we better understand the potential of outdoor dance work in the region.
During the six months, dancers will be encouraged to engage with other makers in the region and will be supported by the team to do so where possible.
Emotional Support
We encourage applications from dancers who live in Dumfries and Galloway, dancers who have a connection to the region and dancers who have never worked in the region before.
We are aware that for dancers who would be required to relocate to the region this is a large request and may require a huge lifestyle change. Therefore we will work closely throughout the recruitment process and during the six months to discuss the impact of this and the processes needed to safeguard everyone involved in the work.
The Basics
Dancers will be paid a fixed fee of £13,200 (equivalent to £600pw) plus a holiday allowance of £1320. For engagement from the 13th of June until the 12th of November 2021.
Dependent on Covid regulation, dancers may be required to self isolate from 31st May 2021. In this instance these weeks would be paid in addition to the figures above at full rates.
Dancers travel and accommodation will be covered throughout the duration of the contract. We aim to ensure that accommodation is consistent during the period, including kitchen/laundry facilities, in walking distance of local amenities and meeting any access requirements of the dancers. .
Dancers will remain resident in the region for the duration of the working period, with travel limited if required by Covid restrictions.
Dancers may have to undergo Covid Testing as required.
We are extremely interested in working with artists who are traditionally underrepresented in the dance community, including but not limited to BIPOC, older artists, disabled artists, working class artists and trans artists. We are eager to put in place systems to support artists who identify as underrepresented and will work actively to ensure support is in place to create an anti-discriminatory working and living environment.
This opportunity is open to applicants with a minimum of three years touring/ performing experience. We understand that dancers from different backgrounds will define this in different ways and welcome applications from people who have trained via informal routes.
We are particularly interested in working with people who have experience developing work quickly with a range of choreographers and those who are familiar with working in outdoor, pop up environments.
Space to Fail
This is a quick turnaround Covid response and although it excites us massively, we are aware that as the project unfolds we will make mistakes or expectations may need to shift. We are looking to work with people who are willing to communicate concerns in the early stages so that we can pre-empt issues and support the artists we work with. We will co-design the process for doing so with dancers upon offer of contract. If anyone has any questions about this prior to submitting an expression of interest please email contact@dumfriesandgalloway.dance.
Conversation Sessions
We are aware that this seems like a great opportunity for dancers at a time when there is limited work. However, we also know that this may be a huge ask in terms of lifestyle change.
Therefore, we will be hosting three conversation sessions during the call out period so that applicants have space to understand the proposal more effectively.
Tuesday 20th April 1030-1130
Thursday 22nd April 1300-1400
Thursday 29th April 1730-1830
These are drop in sessions. Please contact contact@dumfriesandgalloway.dance for details.
If you cannot make them please feel free to send questions via email.
How to Apply
Please submit a one page expression of interest and up to three images, or a video of no longer than five minutes detailing the following:
A short description of your track record as a dancer.
Why you are interested in creating pop up work for communities in Dumfries and Galloway.
Up to three minutes of footage that demonstrates your style as a dancer.
A short statement about any support you feel you may need to undertake this and what you feel you will do to prepare for the lifestyle change.
Please note if you identify with any of the characteristics we list above as underrepresented in dance.
Please note if you have a driving license: this will not impact decisions but will be useful in terms of project planning.
Please send your application to contact@dumfriesandgalloway.dance for details by Midday on Friday 7th May 2021.
We will respond to all applicants on Tuesday 11th May.
Applicants will be shortlisted and then invited to a short zoom workshop followed by an informal interview.
Selections will be made by a small panel familiar with touring dance in Scotland.
Due to the pace of adaptation, details of who will be on the panel will be confirmed and released shortly.
Workshops and interviews will take place on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th May via Zoom.
We will respond to all applicants by Wednesday 19th May.
All applicants will receive feedback on request, no later than Friday 4th June.