Dansateliers

Dansateliers is an independent house for the development of contemporary dance cultures. We support and give space to dance artists who want to make a positive contribution to a more inclusive, open and multi-voiced society, while shaping future sustainable arts careers. Dansateliers works locally and connects across borders.

At Dansateliers we support artists in the in-between: researching, knowledge-building and exchange, experimenting and testing, and connecting to and building communities. We not only want to impact artists' development, but also their audiences and arts policy. We do so through working from three integrated pillars:

Dansateliers believes in long-term commitment in guiding artists in their professionalisation and artistic development. We also invest in developing the careers of dance artists’ companions, such as dramaturgs, (creative) producers and business leaders.

Dansateliers contributes to the development of the dance field through initiating (international) collaborations and research possibilities that develop knowledge and capacity-building to unfold undiscovered potential for future dance artists' careers and that strengthen the impact of dance in society.

Building strong networks and long-term invested partners around artists to sustain their practice and communities.

Dansateliers was founded in 1993 to respond to the need for experimentation in dance at that moment in time. It has developed its working methods and strategies over the course of its existence, taking on the challenge of – and adjusting to – a changing field and world. An open dialogue with the artists has always played an essential role.

Since 2021, Dansateliers has taken the responsibility to support three Associate Artists, because we see that post-emerging/mid-career artists are vulnerable in the current Dutch cultural infrastructure, lacking the continuity and resources to stand on their own feet.

Dansateliers is located in an early 20th-century school building in the city centre, within walking distance of the central station. We host 3 studios; one studio sized 8,6 x 6,5 and 2 studios sized 9 x 18 m. One of the large studios is fully technically equipped for montage and presentations, which can be used as a black box or a white box, with a capacity of 60 audience members. Further, we offer a foyer/shared space, office spaces for the Dansateliers team and artists and a storage space.