The Floor is Yours
Three Digital Stage & Studio commissions
Digital Stage & Studio has launched three new Dance on Screen short film commissions with the selected projects receiving £6000 each.
The theme for this year’s commission is The Floor is Yours, celebrating The Dance Floor in the foyer space at the brand new Sadler’s Wells East, home to community and artist takeovers, sharings, workshops, family activities and more. With this commission, we’re asking: what space is your personal dance floor?
We’re looking for artists to explore how movement can appear in everyday life or unexpected places. Your film idea could take inspiration from memories of first dancing in your parents’ living room, to finding freedom dancing at clubs. Whether you find joy dancing with your community or peace dancing alone, we’re looking for films that celebrate what dance means to you.
The commission is open to dance artists of all styles and practices, and artists can apply either individually or as a company. In order to make the films feasible within budget and timescale, each film must be no more than four minutes in length.
The final pieces will premiere on Digital Stage in early 2026.
The deadline for entry is 11:59pm on Thursday 3 April.
To apply for the commission, please fill out the form below to share more about your creative work and a summary of the idea you’d want to bring to life. If you have any questions about the application, please email digitalstage@sadlerswells.com.
To help inspire you, please have a look at the films created from last year’s commission: The Classics ReFramed
More information
Digital Stage is Sadler’s Wells online platform.
We take audiences beyond our four stages and bring dance straight to your living room. We curate, produce and share dance films, documentaries, live performance captures, dance workshops, podcasts and more. Explore Digital Stage and read more about our work.
We’re looking for Dance on Screen films of a maximum of four minutes in length.
Dance on Screen films showcase dance performances specifically created to be watched on screen, challenging perceptions and pushing the boundaries of what dance and film can be. Explore other films in this category.
This commission is open to dance artists of all styles, aged 18+.
Artists can apply either individually, or as a group or company – but the total fee will remain £6000 for each commission, regardless of the number of individuals involved.
During this commission, you will work with the Sadler’s Wells’ team to create your Dance on Screen film.
For the selected films, our Sadler’s Wells producer will act as the producer on each project and can work with you to help shape your idea and source a creative team. The Sadler’s Wells in-house filmmaker will also be able to support with editing your film (based on availability). If preferred, you can also work with an external filmmaker or producer that you may already collaborate with.
For the applicants invited to interview, the creative team will be discussed as part of the process. If you have a filmmaker or other creative partners you typically work with and would like to work with on this commission, please include this in your application. All costs including external filmmakers and equipment will need to be covered within the £6000 commission.
The deadline for applications is 11:59pm on Thursday 3 April 2025.
Artists will then be shortlisted, and all artists will be contacted by 12 May 2025. Filming will take place in August to October 2025.
The final films will premiere on Digital Stage in early 2026.
The Digital Stage team will also support the selected applicants with the marketing of their film.
About the theme of the commissions – The Floor is Yours
The theme is asking: what is your own personal dance floor? We’re looking for ideas that take dance out of traditional theatre spaces and instead celebrate how anywhere can be a dance floor. Your film could see you dancing in your kitchen, outdoors, in your local town hall or on the street – wherever you find inspiration.