1. About Little Big Dance

It's OK by George Fellows at a Little Big Dance sharing day. Photo by Summer Dean

Little Big Dance exists to support choreographers and dance makers to develop the specialist skills and experience needed to make captivating and diverse dance work for, by, and with children under five-years-old and their adults.

Launched in 2019, Little Big Dance is a major three-year national initiative created by South East Dance and delivered in partnership with DanceEast, Take Art and Yorkshire Dance with more than £431,000 investment from Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Arts Council England. 

 

The projectplaces the voice of the child at the heart of the creative process and is a strategic intervention to increase the quality and breadth of work for this currently under-resourced audience. 

As we head into cycle two, we reflect on the outcomes for cycle one. Commissioned Artists Takeshi Matsumoto, Club Origami and George Fellows, it’s ok created very successful dance performances for early years audiences. Between July 2021-May 2022 the shows toured to early years settings, nationally as well as venues and festivals. By the end of May 2022, the audience figures were well over 3000. Little Big Dance commissions were presented at Dance Umbrella, and toured internationally to Denmark, Ireland and Mexico, with further international interest ongoing. 

Further Information & How to Apply

A small white blonde boy smiles as he sits in a bed of white paper as children all around him play with and throw the paper

2. About Little Big Dance Cycle Two Artist Lab

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2. About Little Big Dance Cycle Two Artist Lab
Children sit cross-legged on a laminate floor. A black child with glasses points out something to a blonde white child. All of the children have yellow vests over their ordinary clothes

3. Eligibility Criteria

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3. Eligibility Criteria
Takeshi Matsumoto performing Club Origami on stage

4. Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Access

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4. Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Access
A small child in a dark room looks into a perspex box where two dancers, one in red and one in black look back at the child

5.Fees, Travel & Accommodation

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5.Fees, Travel & Accommodation
Two Japanese performers, a man and a woman, in white sleeveless tops fold paper in an origami style. One is knelt down and placing their paper on a long white mat while the male performer stands up behind her. An audience of children and mothers are watching on. They are in a dark room with the stage area lit.

6. Find Out More Before Applying

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6. Find Out More Before Applying
Two Japanese performers, a man and a woman, in white sleeveless tops fold paper in an origami style. One is knelt down and placing their paper on a long white mat while the male performer stands up behind her. An audience of children and mothers are watching on. They are in a dark room with the stage area lit.

8. The Selection Process

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8. The Selection Process