Australian Dance Theatre Launches LOFT Program

Australian Dance Theatre has announced the launch of the inaugural LOFT program, which will see an unprecedented suite of opportunities for independent dance makers in South Australia and beyond including the Expound Residency, the largest residency of its kind in Australia. 

A joint initiative between Australian Dance Theatre and CreateSA, LOFT is a dedicated space for independent dance in South Australia that takes up residence at Level One, Lion Arts Centre. Additionally, ADT will continue offer opportunities for independent artists at The Tanja Liedtke Studio, which is upstairs at The Odeon in Norwood. 

Led by recently appointed Executive Producer Viviana Sacchero, who has relocated to Adelaide for the role, LOFT has been designed to respond to the many years of consultation and reviews of the local dance sector, with a program designed to maximise opportunities for dance artists to develop new work, interrogate ideas, and extend their practice. 

“I’ve been really blown away by the dedication and passion of the South Australian dance sector,” says Viviana, “and in designing LOFT, we wanted to give independent dance artists, particularly South Australian makers, the space they’ve been craving to take their work to the next level, while also giving them the opportunity to foster connections nationally.”

LOFT is launched with three tiers of residency:

• Experiment Residencies: Artists receive a week of free studio time in The Tanja Liedtke Studio to scratch the surface a new idea. There are a total of 19 weeks of studio time available throughout the year.
• Explore Residencies: Artists receive one week of free studio time at Level One, Lion Arts and a grant of $3000 to explore a choreographic idea or interest. As part of the residency, successful applicants will present a free workshop or masterclass. There are up to eight Explore Residencies on offer throughout 2025.
• Expound Residency: Expound is a six-week residency at Level One, Lion Arts with a $30,000 grant. This is the largest dance residency currently on offer in Australia and will be open to artists nationally. The Expound Residency applications will be assessed by dance leaders Marilyn Miller, Michael Keegan-Dolan (Micháel MacAodhagáin-Ó Dobhailen) alongside ADT’s Artistic Director Daniel Riley. 

“The amount of space, time and funding on offer is mega,” says Sacchero, “We really wanted to meet artists where they’re at – whether they’re at the start of their journey and need space to test the initial spark of an idea, or if they’ve got something ready for final-stage development, there’s a place for it at LOFT.”

Additionally, the company announces that Gabrielle Nankivell is the recipient of the PEAK Residency, which will see her project Conjuring receive free studio time, $12,000 cash and support from Adelaide Fringe. Additionally, independent South Australian choreographers Zoë Dunwoodie, Janelle Egan and Motus Collective will each receive one week of studio time and a small stipend to develop projects through LOFT. 

“2025 is a huge year for us,” says Executive Director Nick Hays, “with every member of the company working tirelessly to deliver exceptional outcomes for our community of artists and audiences. ADT has always been a place that has sought to support dancers at every stage of their career – we provide access to free classes for professional dancers every weekday, we offer professional development and masterclass opportunities wherever we can. Now, with LOFT, we’re poised to provide more opportunities than ever before to independent artists.

“It’s taken a few months of planning and lots of hard work, but we hope that the independent sector is excited by the opportunities on offer at LOFT.”

The announcement of LOFT signifies the broad support for independent dance in South Australia. 

“The commencement of LOFT follows the Malinauskas Government’s launch of A Place to Create,” says Minister for the Arts, Andrea Michaels, “a new 10-year cultural policy for South Australia, which is designed to embed creativity and the arts into the lives of all South Australians. 

 “Key to our Cultural Policy is making South Australia a hub for artistic expression and ensuring artists have spaces to create and develop their skills. 

“Our dance sector is diverse, vibrant and punches well above its weight. It’s incredibly exciting to see Australian Dance Theatre and LOFT provide a wealth of incredible opportunities to the independent dance community and I cannot wait to see the amazing work that will be created through this initiative.”

Applications for the Experiment, Explore and Expound Residencies are now open.