The CDS Artist Community is a network of almost 270 independent artists and arts workers, whom we support to achieve their career goals, find solidarity, learn about collaboration with other artists, and advocate for themselves within the sector. It’s the absolute heart of our work at CDS. In return for this support, artists in our community form the artistic leadership of Chisenhale Dance Space, contributing to programme development, taking a proactive role in sharing their views and needs with our staff, and guiding the direction and ethics of our organisation. For us, this is what it means to be genuinely artist-run.
Being part of the CDS artist community feels grounding and reassuring. It’s a space where I know i’ll be in rich exchange with other artists. CDS staff are always very supportive and interested in what artists bring and who they are; they encourage each artist to own the space and to take responsibility for their work and their role within the community.
- Manuela Albrecht, Artist & Researcher, Collaborator @ CDS
There are 3 tiers of participation in our Community:
Collaborators: Artists who feel connected to the work of CDS, but may have less regular time to participate. They receive all the benefits of community membership, but are in a supporting, rather than leading, role.
Activators: A core group of 65 artists, who are either of Global Majority heritage or Disabled/Neurodivergent experience. They have more capacity to participate, and join CDS staff for a gathering 4 times a year for focussed discussions about their creative practices and how CDS programmes can support them in their work.
Artist Committee: A paid steering group that meets for one day per month, working with staff and trustees to lead the direction of CDS. It is made up of five black, brown, disabled, and neurodivergent artists, selected from open applications within our community. Each Committee member serves a 2-year term before stepping down. You can read more about our current committee here.
Many versions of the Artist Community have existed since the 1980s at CDS, when our space was set up by the X6 Collective with the founding principle of being artist-led. Our current model is a result of a Transformational Governance course undertaken by our staff in 2022, which looked at how to distribute power and leadership within our organisation. It’s key to us that the voices and experiences of marginalised artists are enshrined in this model: in the scarcity of opportunities in our sector, it’s harder than ever to get your foot in the door. Our work seeks to proactively address this situation, to empower artists to make things happen for themselves, and with each other.
Being an Activator at CDS has been a lifeline for me. It’s provided me with a community, a family and opportunities that I never thought I would get as a neurodiverse and Disabled artist.
- Blodwyn Jenkins, Artist & Choreographer, Activator @ CDS
Photos of Past Programmes
Find out more about our present and past Artist Community programmes here.
Find out more about our artists here.
Find out more about the benefits of Community Membership here.
Find out more about how to join here.
Got a question? Email Sonya, our Artist Community Producer, on sonya@chisenhaledancespace.co.uk