Outbound

OUTBOUND is an artist-development programme designed to empower artists to build networks, relationship, audiences and opportunities outside their locale and identify the challenges and opportunities independent artists face when looking to tour.

This is achieved in a partnership between seven dance organisations based across the UK, running as a 12-month programme that offers provocations, knowledge and peer support with the intention to expand opportunities for participating artists to tour and share their work. 

The full list of artists includes:

• Chess Dillon Reams nominated by South East Dance
• Ashley Jordan nominated by FABRIC
• Chisato Minamimura nominated by The Place
• Bakani Pick-up nominated by Northern School of Contemporary Dance/Yorkshire Dance
• Glass House Dance (Laura McGill and Sarah Lewis) nominated by DanceEast
• Jesse Salaman and Toi Guy nominated by Dance City

As part of our support for Chess, she has been in residence at The Dance Space creating a new work M-Othering, which will be presented in preview on Sat 20 July, 2024. Find out more and book tickets here. 

Chess Dillon Reams began her professional training with the Centre for Advanced Training at Laban, where she worked with Lee Smikle, Hofesh Shechter & Henri Oguike Dance Company. After graduating from Northern School of Contemporary Dance, she furthered her training with Jasmin Vardimon's apprentice company JV2; touring nationally with works by Christine Gouzellies & Paul Blackman, David Lloyd & Jasmin Vardimon.

Chess co-founded multi-award winning, critically-acclaimed, comedic dance-theatre company The Hiccup Project. Between 2014-2020 Chess co-created and performed in three full-length works, including May-We-Go Round?, which sold-out a five night run in Brighton Fringe, and won The Pebble Trust Brighton Fringe Award, The South East Dance Award and The Fringe Review Award for Outstanding Theatre. 

Driven by human, social themes and real life experience, Chess is inspired by work that seeks to connect to audiences regardless of their prior experience of contemporary dance or theatre. She says: "I am fascinated with how we can physicalise emotions and tell stories through movement. Over the years I have developed my own artistic practice that incorporates improvisation tasks and exercises that I explore when leading workshops and creating work. I like to draw out real stories and create work to inspire, connect, move and entertain." 

OUTBOUND is delivered in partnership by us at South East Dance alongside, FABRIC,Dance City, DanceEast, Northern School of Contemporary Dance, The Place and Yorkshire Dance.