Dance Scratch Night

at Garter Lane Arts Centre

2026 CALL OUT

Following on from the success of the last two years, this is an opportunity for dance artists to present their work-in-progress to a live audience on May 30th in Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford.

We are interested in variety and bold dance ideas including experimental and multidisciplinary work, between 10-15 minutes in length. The idea may be at very early stages or it may have had some prior development time but the work should not be finished. Artists/companies are welcome to apply from across the island of Ireland. We strongly encourage artists from the Global Majority and artists with disabilities to apply.

Those applying should show an interest in receiving feedback from the audience and have ambitions to further develop and eventually present the completed work.

What it involves:

  • Four artists will be selected to perform on the night of May 30th, on stage in Garter Lane Arts Centre

  • Performances must be between 10-15 minutes

  • Performances will be low-tech; you will be given a basic lighting state and the use of one special if needed.

  • You will have 90 minutes of tech time on the day. You must be available for the whole day on May 30th.

  • The sound and light for your performance will be operated by an in-house technician. Sound files must be received by May 15th.

  • This will be a ticketed, evening-time, adult show, open to the public.

What you will receive:

  • You will receive €500 towards the performance - this can be used at your discretion e.g costume, travel, artist fee, access costs etc.

  • Your performance will be filmed and you will receive a copy.

  • The audience will write short, instinctive feedback on your performance and this will be available to you after the sharing.

Deadline to apply: March 19th at 5pm

APPLY NOW!

The four acts will be selected by a panel including organiser and Dance Artist in Residence of Garter Lane, Rachel Ní Bhraonáin.

If you have any questions please contact Rachel: dancing@garterlane.ie
This is supported by the Arts Council and Waterford City and County Council.

T&Cs

  • Four acts will be selected

  • You will have a maximum of 15 minutes to perform

  • You will receive €500 towards the performance - this can be used at your discretion e.g costume/props, travel, artist fee, access costs etc.

  • You will have 90 minutes of tech time on the day

  • You will have the use of basic lighting states and a special.

  • Your performance will be operated by an in-house technician.

  • Your performance will be filmed (single shot, wide) and you will receive that footage shortly after the event.

  • This will be a ticketed, adult show, open to the public

  • There will be an opportunity for the audience to leave written feedback. This will be available to you if you wish to receive it.

Look Back

2024 Artists: Phoebe Brown with Swing 2.0, Hannah Scully and Safire Hikari with When Lives Touch, Aneta Dortova with Opacity and Anja Nicholson and Jonah McGreevy with Bakers Grieve

2025 Artists: Jyoti Soni with Dystopia, Awenwoven with A Body in Internal Motion, Aoibhinn O’Dea with The Foot of the Lungs and Anne Rowe and Carla Adan Cerezuela with Buit Ple D’absència (Void Full of Absence)