Performer Applications for Final Scratch Renaissance Nights are open!

Performer Applications Now Open for the Final Scratch Renaissance Nights

At Chisenhale Dance Space (CDS), we believe every artist deserves a platform to experiment, take risks, and test new ideas. That belief sparked Scratch Renaissance: a year‑long initiative reigniting the culture of scratch and work‑in‑progress evenings within the grassroots dance and performance sector.

As we approach the final phase of the programme, applications are now open for artists who want to perform in the last Scratch Renaissance nights.

Get Involved

We’re inviting artists from across performance disciplines to apply for the next round of scratch nights. The final events in the series are:

  • Devils Advocate — Friday 24 April 2026, Chisenhale Dance Space
  • spiiill — Thursday 25 June 2026, Chisenhale Dance Space

Why Apply?

Scratch Renaissance was created in response to a sector‑wide crisis: the disappearance of low‑barrier, high‑impact opportunities for emerging artists. With rising costs and the loss of key platforms like Vault Festival, many artists have been left without spaces to trial ideas, build confidence, and connect with audiences.

This programme is our collective answer. Each monthly scratch night is a space for risk, mess, and momentum—co‑curated with artist‑led collectives and designed to support marginalised artists in showing work for the first time.

 

Scratch Renaissance Consortium

The Scratch Renaissance consortium brings together artists from dance, theatre, performance, drag, cabaret, and improvisation. Supported by CDS, this collaborative network shares knowledge and best practice around scratch culture. Together, they’ve developed a series of new scratch night models, including:

  • Past Works Recycling Plant by Emergency Chorus: A night for ‘recycled’ performance: for reworked and remixed material, whirlwind retrospectives, rehearsal room B-sides, or the very first work an artist ever made.
  • Open Night by Mind the Gap: A part curated, part lottery ‘open mic’ night for improvised and spontaneously created acts, across mediums and styles.
  • Cross Pollination by Ensemble Not Found & Halfpace Theatre: A night for artists who have never worked together to collaborate and create interdisciplinary and experimental work.
  • Devils Advocate by Elevate East: A night to rigorously test new ideas: where artists present two contrasting short extracts from a work, engaging audiences through structured, constructive conversation to help shape the next steps.
  • spiiill by identity. ideas. industry. (iii): A scratch of an artist; focusing on giving artists the opportunity to talk about their work, themes, and practice. In addition, they will share a short extract of a work in development.
  • THIS IS A THREAT by Midgitte Bardot: A night for durational, crip-focused and led work that interrogates risk and failure (of the state).

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CDS Director, Reece McMahon says: “Scratch nights have long been essential spaces for artists to take risks, test ideas, and push boundaries—but they are rapidly disappearing, especially in London. Opportunities for emerging artists have dwindled, with fewer being programmed as venues become more risk-averse and are sidelining artist development. The Scratch Renaissance is a call to action, led by artists, to rebuild the grassroots platforms that enable bold and necessary work. We urge artists and venues to support this movement and help sustain the next generation of scratch nights—and the vital work they foster. The sector needs this now more than ever.” 

Ben Kulvichit & Clara Potter-Sweet, Emergency Chorus say: ‘We started hosting Past Works Recycling Plant nights because we were weary of waiting for resources in a sector of scarcity, and wanted to make space for ourselves and other artists to just try some things — better imperfectly than not at all. So it’s so very heartening that CDS is investing in artist-led initiatives, because grassroots, DIY culture is all-important. It’s where risks are taken, new ground is broken and communities are built. This Scratch Renaissance is an opportunity for a burst of invigorating DIY (or DIT — do it together!) energy on the London performance scene, and we can’t wait to see what comes of it’

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Image from ‘Villainess’ by Kasia Kuzka at Devils Advocate in September 2025; Photographed by Ross Kernahan

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