Open Call for Applications - Artistic Cohort 2027-2029
We are inviting applications to form the second Artistic Cohort of Rose Choreographic School. Applications are open internationally. This cycle will run from April 2027 to March 2029, during which 9 artists will receive a £15,000 research budget, access to studio space at Sadler’s Wells East, and mentoring and production support.
We have written information about this application process below, you can use these links to navigate to particular sections:
Why do we call ourselves a School?
Why is it a Choreographic School and not a School for Choreography?
What do we offer the Artistic Cohort?
Recruitment video:
The Head of the School, Martin Hargreaves and the Producer of the School, Izzy Galbraith spent some time talking together about the School and this application process here.
Click here to download a PDF transcript of this video. (PDF download)
Who are we?
The Rose Choreographic School is an experimental research and pedagogy project, based at Sadler’s Wells East, London, UK. We are a small team of 2; Martin Hargreaves, Head of School, and Izzy Galbraith, Producer. We work para- and cross-institutionally and in collaboration with people from all practices and inclinations for whom the concept of the choreographic is a central concern. We propose a postdisciplinary approach to this question of the choreographic, and use an expanded notion of a school to frame our explorations.
The School interacts with researchers and audiences in a variety of ways. We host a podcast series, þ thorns þ, where guests are brought together to discuss research and the choreographic, and we host a wide range of other artistic research publications on our website.
Every 2 years we also have an open call to invite artistic researchers to form an Artistic Cohort. Across a 2 year cycle, each researcher in the Cohort follows their singular choreographic enquiries and collectively imagines a school with us, through which knowledges and practices can be developed and shared.
Why do we call ourselves a School?
We use the idea of a School to explore the potential of collective study. Rather than adopt conventional institutional patterns or frameworks we are focused on the core principle that schools are gathering places for teaching, learning and exchange. We are not teaching choreography but asking what happens when people are brought together to think about the choreographic.
We, as the Head of School and the Producer, are referred to as the Faculty. The artistic researchers who are invited for each cycle are referred to as the Artistic Cohort, rather than as students. The School hosts a regular schedule of in-person meetings where the Faculty and Artistic Cohort come together. These meetings are called Cohort Assemblies and are focused on the question of how to experiment with the conditions needed for learning. Faculty and Cohort work together to plan and programme these Assemblies. There isn’t a set syllabus, or an expectation of a predetermined outcome, and there is no curriculum other than the discourse that emerges and shapes how we work, think, move, and make together.
Why is it a Choreographic School and not a School for Choreography?
The main reason for this distinction between the choreographic and choreography is that the School actively seeks to be choreographed by all the people who interact with it, rather than engaging in the teaching of dancemaking. Choreography is often (but not exclusively) used to name the production of authored dance works. The choreographic is often (but not exclusively) used to name broader processes of thinking and working with systems, attitudes and dispositions towards the organisation of movement. The School is oriented towards the latter, towards enquiries into the emergence and operation of choreographic practices, rather than towards the development of finished pieces of choreography. In the School, the choreographic can refer to choreography, and to the writing of dancing bodies, but it can also refer to modalities of generating and circumscribing movement which don't register as dance, or as art works. The choreographic is an open question for the School and below are some examples of how this question has been explored:
Extended thoughts around the School - Writings
Thoughtographs - An interview series
Glossary - An evolving list of terms and phrases that are circulating around and within the School
What do we offer the Artistic Cohort?
This second cycle of the School will run from April 2027 to March 2029, during which 9 artists each receive a £15,000 research budget (distributed in monthly stipend payments), access to dance studio spaces at Sadler’s Wells East, and mentoring and production support. There are no fees to apply or participate in the Cohort.
The Faculty will work with each member of the Artistic Cohort on a support plan in order to understand the evolving needs of their research practice. As Head of the School, Martin can offer dramaturgical support, mentoring and critical feedback. As Producer of the School, Izzy can offer administrative and production support, including budgeting, scheduling and contracting. Each member of the Artistic Cohort has different needs and the Faculty will work responsively across the cycle with them. The Artistic Cohort members are asked to complete an Access Rider as a live document that informs how they work with the Faculty and the broader communities of the School.
The School cannot produce or present finished performance works at Sadler’s Wells but does offer the Artistic Cohort the opportunity to share research materials on the School website and social media platforms.
The Faculty and Cohort convene in-person to work collaboratively on the choreography of the School at Cohort Assemblies across the 2 years. These Assemblies are held at Sadler’s Wells East in London, and are scheduled for 8 days every 2 months. The School will cover costs associated with travel into London and accommodation for the duration of School Assemblies. Each time we come together for a Cohort Assembly we ask the question “what are the conditions we need to study with each other?”
The calendar for the Cohort Assemblies is:
- Thursday 1st April - Thursday 8th April 2027
- Saturday 5th June - Saturday 12th June 2027
- Saturday 14th August – Saturday 21st August 2027
- Saturday 9th October – Saturday 16th October 2027
- Saturday 4th December – Saturday 11th December 2027
- Saturday 12th February – Saturday 19th February 2028
- Saturday 8th April – Saturday 15th April 2028
- Saturday 24th June – Saturday 1st July 2028
- Saturday 9th September – Saturday 16th September 2028
- Saturday 11th November – Saturday 18th November 2028
- Saturday 13th January – Saturday 20th January 2029
- Saturday 24th March – Saturday 31st March 2029
The Faculty recognises that there may be times when schedules clash and will work with each member of the Artistic Cohort on an attendance plan. There is not a predetermined syllabus, curriculum or programme of events for these Assemblies. The Faculty collaborates with the Artistic Cohort to schedule workshops, lectures, sharings and seminars. We all work together to invite other artists, or non-artists, to visit us and we also visit external performances, exhibitions and events. Choreographing a School requires active participation from everyone, and attendance at the Assemblies is strongly encouraged and supported. Active participation requires navigating decision-making, ethics, collective responsibility, dissensus and disagreement, and group governance. The Artistic Cohort and the Faculty will collectively co-author a live Ethics of Practice policy. This is one way the School engages with the ongoing ethical commitments needed to study with each other.
Who are we looking for?
For this second cycle of the School we are seeking to form a cohort of 9 artists, with applications open to UK and international artists. Successful applicants will not be required to relocate to London but will need to be able to attend the regular Cohort Assemblies. We cannot offer student visas or support visa applications, but The School will cover the travel and accommodation costs of attending the Cohort Assemblies.
We are inviting applications from any person who wants to spend 2 years working on their singular research project whilst also collaboratively choreographing a School. While each person should apply with their own choreographic research, we do not require it to be single authored or based in solo practice. Choreographic research can engage with conventional forms of choreography or not, can involve dancing or not, and it can focus on human movement or not. Although referred to as the Artistic Cohort, applicants do not need to identify as an artist; we are open to applications that explore any kind of research practice into the choreographic, whether arts-based or not. Applicants do not need to identify as choreographers, the School is interested in research that emerges in relation to the choreographic, without predetermining the form, media or field that this concerns.
The imagination of the School is inherently collaborative and requires an Artistic Cohort who want to commit to supporting each other’s research. This includes engaging with critical dialogue and feedback and may also include collaborative research and the formation of wider clusters of enquiry.
We encourage people to apply with research questions they are busy with and do not have a preconceived outcome to these questions. The School does not produce work for presentation or performance; this is a framework to unpack and explore research.
Applicants need to be over 18 but there is no maximum age limit. The discourse in the School operates at a postgraduate level but we encourage and welcome applications from people who have not come from traditional training or academic backgrounds. The School cannot support people who are simultaneously engaged in full-time education elsewhere.
How do I apply?
To apply for the School you must answer 2 questions:
- What is your choreographic research?
- What is your interest in collaboratively choreographing a School?
Your response can be written, voice recorded, or filmed. There is a word length or time limit for each section in the form so please focus only on what the question is asking. We do not need a CV or portfolio or lengthy descriptions of your career, previous works or projects.
Applications will close on 20 September 2026 at 23:00 BST.
We will shortlist from these responses and then invite selected applicants to interview online. We will inform all applicants of the outcome of their application by the end of January 2027. Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we cannot offer feedback to people who are not invited to interview. We are a team of 2 and will not be able to give updates on individual applications.
Click here to start your application
Application timeline:
14 August 2026
Applications open
20 September 2026, 11pm BST
Applications close
21 September 2026 - January 2027
Application review
End of January 2027
All applicants contacted
End of January 2027
Shortlisted applicants invited to interview
February 2027
Interviews
March 2027
Offers
April 2027
Artistic Cohort announced
1st April – 8th April 2027
First Cohort Assembly of Cohort 2
Open Sessions for questions:
The Faculty are hosting online open meetings for interested potential applicants. These are for anyone who has general questions about the School and the application process. These sessions will not be recorded and they are not an opportunity to discuss individual applications.
You can sign up for them here, please only sign up for 1 session:
- Tuesday 18th August, 4-6pm (UK time)
- Friday 21st August, 6-8pm (UK time)
- Wednesday 9th September, 10-12pm (UK time)
FAQs
If you would like a copy of the FAQs as a downloadable PDF, please click here. (PDF download)
General
We don’t have a fixed definition of what Choreographic Research is, we are open to responses on this. Broadly speaking we are interested in research that investigates what the choreographic is, how it appears or operates and who and what it might concern. This can be rooted in the making of art works or not.
Generally, the choreographic is used to name processes of thinking and working with systems, attitudes and dispositions towards the organisation of movement. This can include conventional forms of choreography and dancing, or not.
Each time we come together for a Cohort Assembly we ask the question “what are the conditions we need to study with each other?”
This means we do not have a predetermined syllabus, curriculum or programme of events. The Faculty collaborates with the Artistic Cohort to schedule workshops, lectures, sharings and seminars for the Assemblies. We work together to invite other artists to visit us and we also visit external performances, exhibitions and events.
This collaborative working is how we think about choreographing the School.
The choreography of the School requires active collaboration from all of the Artistic Cohort. We expect each Artistic Cohort member to commit as much as possible to planning, attending and participating in the in-person Cohort Assemblies. Please refer to the published schedule for these in the ‘What do we offer?’ section.
In addition to the Cohort Assemblies, there will be regular online meetings, seminars and events. The Faculty will work with the Artistic Cohort on the scheduling of these in order to optimise possibilities for attendance.
Attendance at the Cohort Assemblies is a priority, however the Faculty recognise that there may be times when schedules clash, and access needs change, so we will work with each Artistic Cohort member on an attendance plan.
It is free to participate.
Cohort artists each receive a £15,000 research budget, access to studio spaces at Sadler’s Wells East and mentoring and production support. They also work collaboratively to imagine the conditions for the ongoing choreography of the School.
It can cover any of the costs of your research, and you are also able to pay yourself a stipend. Basically the spending of the budget is responsive to your needs, Izzy, as Producer, will work with each member of the Artistic Cohort to devise a budget plan.
While each artist should apply with their own choreographic research, we do not require it to be single authored or based in solo practice. We support each artist with their singular needs alongside the ongoing choreography of the School.
The imagination of the School is inherently collaborative and requires a cohort of artist researchers who want to both work on their own research and support each other’s work. This includes critical dialogue and feedback and may also include collaborative research and wider clusters of enquiry.
The studios are in Sadler’s Wells East, Stratford.
If selected, the Faculty will meet with you to determine the needs of your practice/research. While some resources from Sadler’s Wells will be immediately accessible and free to use (such as studio space), some other resources (such as technical or material) will require longer lead-in times and may be recharged to your budget.
You will not have access to the Sadler’s Wells stages for public programming of your work. You will receive discounts on tickets, events and catering at all Sadler’s Wells venues.
Person Specifications
You need to be above 18 years old. There is no maximum age limit.
No, nor do you need to relocate to the UK to participate. You need to be be able to attend the regular Cohort Assemblies in London, but The School cannot support visa applications.
No. In fact, we would encourage people to apply with research that they are already working on, but we are looking for research that doesn’t yet have a preconceived outcome. We are not producing work for presentation or performance; this is an opportunity to unpack and explore your research.
The School is aimed at a postgraduate level but encourages and welcomes artists who do not come from traditional training or academic backgrounds.
The Artistic Cohort is open to applicants who have experience of self-directed research projects and who are not currently in full-time education elsewhere.
The School is for any person who wants to research their concept of the choreographic, whatever that means for them.
No. In fact, we would encourage people to apply with research that they are already working on, but we are looking for research that doesn’t yet have a preconceived outcome. We are not producing work for presentation or performance; this is an opportunity to unpack and explore your research.
Yes. The term artist is just how you will be known within the context of the School. We are open to applications that explore any kind of research practice into the choreographic, whether arts-based or not.
Application Process
No, there will not be a chance to discuss individual applications. However, we will host online group Zoom sessions discussing the application process with the Head of Choreographic School.
We will shortlist from these responses and then invite selected applicants to interview online. We will inform all applicants of the outcome of their application by the end of January 2027.
Due to the anticipated volume of applications, we cannot offer feedback to people who are not invited to interview. We are a team of 2 and will not be able to give updates on individual applications.
No. Your application can be about any research that interests you around the notion of the choreographic. This does not need to be arts based at all.
No, the School does not commission pieces or produce work, we support research. There may be public outcomes to your research along the way but this is not obligatory.
For more information you can contact us on info@rosechoreographicschool.com.