Who can join?

Artists and other arts workers in dance, performance, live art, or any other related discipline. No formal training or degree is required. If you are currently studying a BA, we encourage you to finish it before you join.

What is an Activator and what is a Collaborator?

Activators are artists who choose to engage regularly with CDS’ activity for a period of up to two years. They are invited to join 4-6 gatherings per year where they work with staff to collectively design and activate CDS’ activity.

Collaborators are artists who feel connected to CDS but may have less regular time to participate. They receive many of the benefits of being part of the community, but are in a supporting – rather than leading – role.

Why have you chosen these names? 

We believe these ‘doing’ words offer an acknowledgement that the community is powered by artists making things happen. The differentiation between Activators and Collaborators acknowledges that if you are taking on more of the responsibility of community-building, you should be supported to do so by others in our ecosystem.

By describing ourselves using a verb, we hope to share the understanding that all of our roles are active in some way and can shift over time. 

Why 200 artists? Isn’t that a lot?

Over the years we have learned that many artists are very busy and only engage occasionally with the community – and that is ok! That’s why we created the two different roles (Activators and Collaborators), to allow artists to choose how involved they want to be. 

Can you join if you do not live in London?

Activators should live in or plan to be in London regularly so that they can engage with the community and make best use of the benefits. 

The Collaborator role has been specifically designed for artists living anywhere in the UK. But if you feel you can get something out of the community and you live elsewhere, we are happy for you to join.

How are artists selected if lots of people apply?

No application will be judged on artistic merit, profile or quality. You will be asked a simple series of questions to check eligibility and your interest in joining. Artists will be selected using a lottery process that ensures participation of marginalised artists.

You can read more about this in the Application Guidance document further up this page.

What are the community’s values?

The CDS Artist Community works in ways that are respectful, transparent, ethical, anti-racist, environmentally-conscious, and non-discriminatory. We explore positive change through the lens of the following ideas: collectivity, autonomy, process, generosity, equity, accountability, and accessibility. 

You can read more about our community culture here.

What are the benefits?

We offer discounted and occasional free space, training, advice, opportunities for community-building, marketing support, discounted support services and help hosting classes and events. Activators can also participate in focussed support programmes, which are designed in response to their needs.

Will I get access to free rehearsal space?

We are not a regularly funded organisation and rely heavily on our earned income from studio hire. Therefore we cannot regularly offer free rehearsal space / residencies to artists, except when we have specific project funding to support this.

We offer last-minute unsold space for free, plus 20% off all bookings for artists in the community. We also offer free space on Thursday evenings for community-building events (WTF Thursdays). We’re committed to being one of the most affordable studio spaces in London.  

Is your building accessible?

Our imperfect home for the past 40 years has been on the second floor of a warehouse building, accessed by a staircase only. We regret that we cannot currently adequately support wheelchair users and those for whom stairs are a barrier. We are fighting for a redevelopment on our site that would create lift-access, but we are currently at the early stages of a several-years-long process. 

You can read more about the access specifications of our building here. Read more about our commitments to anti-ableism here.

So, how can disabled artists get involved?

The majority of our activity will continue to be on-site. Therefore if our building is inaccessible to you, we regret that we do not currently have the resources to support you to be an Activator. We are committed to removing other barriers to access, and we encourage any disabled artist considering joining us to get in touch to talk about your needs: frances@chisenhaledancespace.co.uk.

We’re working in partnership with Poplar Union, Ugly Duck, Lab13 and Old Diorama Arts Centre to open up more of the community’s activity to physically disabled participants, collaborators and audiences.

How do you practically support black and brown artists?

You can see our practical commitments to antiracist and anti-ableist practice, as well as more about our Artist Community’s values on our policies page.

This includes: a requirement for Activators to complete antiracism training, a ‘more than one’ anti-tokenism rule, creating specific spaces for black/brown and disabled/neurodivergent artists, and investing in leadership from marginalised people through our paid Artists Committee.

What is the Artist Committee?

The Artist Committee is 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 using a randomised lottery, and rotating every 12-18 months. 

Learn more here.