Sadler’s Wells The Future Remembers: £6,000 Dance Film Commission

Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage has launched The Future Remembers, a new open call offering three £6,000 commissionsfor short films exploring the relationship between dance, moving image and ideas of the future.

The commissions are open to filmmakers and dance artists working at the intersection of dance and moving image. Selected artists will receive £6,000 and production support from Sadler’s Wells to create a short film responding to the theme “The Future Remembers”.

The theme invites artists to consider the relationship between what has come before and what is yet to come, with particular attention to ideas of legacy, responsibility and the futures we are creating together. Against a backdrop of environmental uncertainty and rapid technological change, the commission asks artists to consider a central question: what will the future remember?

What does the commission offer?

Three artists or artist teams will each receive:

• £6,000 to create their film

• Production support from the Sadler’s Wells team

• Support from a Sadler’s Wells producer to develop the project and help shape the idea

• Potential editing support from Sadler’s Wells' in-house filmmaker

• The opportunity to premiere the completed film at Sadler’s Wells Dance Digital Film Festival in November 2027

Artists can also choose to work with their own filmmaker, producer or other creative collaborators. If external collaborators or equipment are used, their costs must be covered from the £6,000 commission fee.

The commission is therefore intended not simply as a cash award, but as an opportunity to develop a film with support from an established dance and performance organisation.

Who can apply?

The opportunity is open to dance artists and filmmakers working with dance and moving image.

Dance artists can apply:

• As an individual

• As a group

• As a company

The call is open to artists aged 18 and over, and applications are welcomed from artists based both in the UK and internationally. Filming can take place anywhere in the world.

There is no requirement to be based in the UK, making this an international opportunity for artists working across dance, choreography and film.

What kind of film are they looking for?

The commission is for a Dance on Screen film, meaning a work in which dance is specifically conceived for the screen rather than simply being a recording of a live performance.

Films should be a maximum of four minutes in length, including credits.

Sadler’s Wells is interested in work that explores the possibilities of dance and film together, with artists encouraged to challenge perceptions and push the boundaries of what dance on screen can be.

For The Future Remembers, proposals should respond creatively to the central theme. This could involve thinking about environmental change, technological developments, memory, inheritance, responsibility, human relationships or the kinds of worlds being created for future generations.

The theme is deliberately broad, allowing artists to interpret it through their own creative practices and perspectives.

What happens if you are selected?

Selected artists will work with Sadler’s Wells throughout the development and production process.

A Sadler’s Wells producer will act as producer on each project and can help artists develop their idea and identify or source an appropriate creative team. Sadler’s Wells' in-house filmmaker may also provide editing support, depending on availability.

Artists who already have collaborators they would like to work with are encouraged to mention them in their application. The final creative team can be discussed further during the interview stage.

The completed films will premiere as part of Dance Digital Film Festival in November 2027, giving selected artists an opportunity to have their work presented through Sadler’s Wells' Digital Stage programme.

How to apply

Applicants need to complete the online application form on the Sadler’s Wells website.

The application asks artists to share information about their creative practice and provide a summary of the idea they would like to bring to life.

If you already have filmmakers, dancers, choreographers or other creative collaborators you would like to involve, you can include this information in the application.

Applications close at midnight on 22 November 2026.

Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed in early December 2026, with the successful projects beginning development in January 2027.

Applicants with questions about the call or the application process can contact digitalstage@sadlerswells.com.

Read the full call and apply via Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage