In a new and ground-breaking initiative to develop choreographers, composers and designers who show originality, insight and world-class potential but have not had the rare opportunity to work on the largest scale, Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), in association with Sadler’s Wells (SW), funded by Oak Foundation, are to launch Ballet Now this month.
Ballet Now is a five-year programme of professional development with two commissions made each year by BRB & SW, supporting a total of six artists per year - one choreographer, composer and designer per commission. Commissions will provide the support and freedom to champion artistic innovation, risk taking and new choreographic practice.
With mentoring from Birmingham Royal Ballet's Artistic Director David Bintley, Koen Kessels, Music Director for Birmingham Royal Ballet, and other experts in the dance industry, choreographers, composers and designers will have the opportunity to challenge their choreographic practice and develop creative collaborations for presentation on the large-scale, whilst gaining valuable skills in leading a creative process in a major ballet company.
The process will be developed and overseen by a Creative Consortium - a panel of experts drawn from across world ballet, supporting the selection of creative talent, as well as overseeing mentoring opportunities and the on-going success of the programme.
The framework established by the Creative Consortium will enable the evolution of new and innovative works and for talent to be developed within the most experienced of ballet environments, with day-to-day guidance from some of the most globally renowned experts in their field.
The Consortium consists of: David Bintley (Director, Birmingham Royal Ballet), Koen Kessels (Music Director, Birmingham Royal Ballet), Alistair Spalding (Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and Chief Executive), Cassa Pancho (Artistic Director, Ballet Black), Ted Brandsen (Director, Dutch National Ballet), Emma Southworth (Studio Programme Senior Producer, The Royal Ballet), Sally Beamish (Composer), Sally Cavendish (Performance Music Director, Faber Music). More to be added as confirmed
Ballet Now will also ensure the widest possible circulation of that work, developing the artistic collaborations needed to forge careers around the world by working in close partnership with some of the world’s leading Companies.
“A ballet company should not be a museum,” says David Bintley, “it should be active creatively, within its artistic boundaries and also within the communities it serves. Giving an opportunity to artists to work together and take risks on this scale will be a game changer; this is not happening anywhere else in the world and we will make it happen here.”
