Imagination Museum Launches Co-Commission Programme With Dance And Heritage Partners

The Imagination Museum has announced a new co-commissioning programme designed to bring together dance artists, museums, and local communities to create site-specific performance work. Supported by Arts Council England through National Lottery funding, the initiative will explore new models for collaboration across the dance and heritage sectors.

The programme’s first co-commission will be delivered in partnership with the Horniman Museum and Gardens and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Open to London-based artists, the opportunity includes a £6,000 fee, production support, a choreographic assistant, coaching sessions with dance and museum specialist Sara Wookey, and film and photographic documentation of the work.

PROGRAMME DETAILS

The selected artist will create a new dance work in response to the Horniman’s Nature + Love project, which focuses on themes of environmental awareness and shared spaces. The project will include collaboration with adult community groups who attend regular sessions at Trinity Laban, participating as both contributors and performers.

The creation period will run from January through March 2027, with final performances scheduled as part of the Horniman’s Spring Fair 2027. Performances are expected to take place in the Horniman Gardens, with the possibility of additional presentations within the museum.

FUTURE COMMISSIONS

A second co-commission will be announced in partnership with Ipswich Museum and DanceEast, with further details expected in June 2026.

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

The co-commissioning programme forms part of The Imagination Museum’s broader mission to expand the role of dance within museum and heritage contexts. The initiative aims to support artists in developing new work while fostering connections between creative practitioners and local communities.