Resident Company – Dance Makers Collective

The Inaugural Resident Company has been awarded to Jannawi Dance Clan!

Dance Makers Collective is excited to announce the establishment of our Resident Company program.

As a collective-led arts organisation, DMC champions the power of collective decision making and collaboration. As a Western Sydney based organisation, we also observe our peers in the region working in deeply collective ways, and find ourselves inspired by the breadth and depth of diverse dance practice that is bubbling away in community.

The Resident Company program aims to uplift one Western Sydney dance group by providing mentorship, financial support, business advice, a home at LOT7 on Darug Country in Seven Hills (studio and office space) and opportunities to collaborate on programming and creative projects for the future.

The Resident Company is engaged for a two-year period, with the potential to extend their residency beyond that engagement. As part of the program, in negotiation with DMC, the Resident Company receives:

$10,000 in the first year and $15,000 in the second year.
Free studio space and office space.
Business mentorship from our General Manager.
Free auspicing and grant writing support.
Cross-programming and priority access to our existing programs.
Producing support.

As with many of DMC’s programs, reciprocity is a primary principle, and so rather than the Resident Company engaging with us at arms-length, we sought to engage a dance group who want to genuinely engage with DMC.

The criteria we used to assess the expressions of interest were:

The creative quality or potential of the group.
The group’s alignment with our company values and objectives.
The complementarity of the group with DMC and our programming.

In the EOI, we asked applicants the following questions:

Tell us your story: how did your group start out, what brought you together, what have you done together and what do you do now? (up to 500 words)
What are your aspirations, and how do you think this opportunity could help you get there? (up to 500 words)
Where do you see an alignment with DMC and our programs? Are there things we have done or currently do that you see synergies with your own work or opportunities for you to engage? Do you see any opportunities for exchange with DMC, what could you offer? (up to 500 words)

Applicants could also provide support material, including footage of existing work, links to websites/social media and/or letter/s of recommendation.

This opportunity was open exclusively to dance groups with a strong connection to Western Sydney (i.e. the group predominantly lives and/or works in the region).