EOIs are now open for Out of Bounds Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 May 2025 at Dancehouse

Out of Bounds is an exciting choreographic platform for artists to share works in progress with audiences, fellow artists, and peers over a weekend. 

Originally devised by Lucy Guerin Inc and Temperance Hall, premiering at Temperance Hall in March 2021. Dancehouse will co-present Out of Bounds 2025 iteration with Lucy Guerin Inc.

Curated by Lucy Guerin, Dr Phillip Adams, and Josh Wright, Out of Bounds invites dance artists to share excerpts of up to 10 minutes duration of recent choreographic investigations, experiments, or works-in-progress. Following the sharing, each work will be given space for creative feedback with discussions facilitated by experienced dance practitioners and peers. 

Out of Bounds aims to show new work in a raw state—providing a generous, open space for artists to take risks and try out their ideas. Victorian dance artists across all forms, practices, cultures, histories, lineages, styles, disciplines, aesthetics and experimentations are welcome at Out of Bounds.

EOIs for artists to propose Out of Bounds sharings close 9am, Wednesday 12 March 2025.

Out of Bounds was originally devised by Lucy Guerin Inc and Temperance Hall, the Out of Bounds program premiered at Temperance Hall in March 2021.

Submissions are strongly encouraged and warmly welcomed from artists identifying as First Nations, Culturally and Linguistically diverse, Deaf or Disabled, and LGBTIQA+.

Questions

If you have any questions or wish to receive this information in a large print, text-only or alternative format, or would like to submit an application in an alternative format, please contact either: 

Estelle Conley, Producer at Lucy Guerin Inc 

[email protected] / 03 9329 4213

Efren Pamilican, Program Manager at Dancehouse

[email protected] / 03 9347 2860

What we’re offering

• Opportunity to present a work-in-development (up to 10 minutes) to an audience, and to engage in a short critical discussion about the work, facilitated by a professional dance artist/ arts worker;
• Each work will be presented within a 1-hour slot along with two other projects, followed by a break-out discussion with audience members and peers. This format will repeat across both days;
• A $200 honorarium per project;
• Access to rehearsal space for  1 x 2-hour session at Dancehouse or LGI’s WXYZ Studios;
• A 30-minute technical rehearsal at Dancehouse prior to the presentation weekend, on Thursday 1 or Friday 2 May;
• Basic sound equipment and technical assistance to support the showings. The program is a daytime program in a studio style environment, with a standard lighting wash across all works. No lighting cues or plans will be possible;
• Promotion of the weekend’s program through both LGI and Dancehouse marketing channels;

Key Dates

EOIs close / 9am Wednesday 12 March 2025

Artist briefing sessions /  Monday 14 April, 12-1pm (online) or Tuesday 15 April, 6-7pm (in person)

Technical rehearsals at Dancehouse / Thursday 1-Friday 2 May

Out of Bounds /  12-6pm, Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 May

Eligibility, additional notes and requirements

• Applicants must be residents of Victoria;
• Financial support is not provided for travel to/from the rehearsal and presentation venues;
• The proposed project must be either brand new or in early development, and cannot be a work that has previously had a public outcome;
• Successful applicants will be required to agree to, sign, and adhere to a code of conduct;
• The programming of the presentation weekend is at the sole discretion of LGI and Dancehouse. Timings and performance dates are non-negotiable.

Due to the anticipated volume of submissions, please note that Dancehouse and LGI will not be able to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

In partnership with the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), we are also pleased to offer two dedicated places in the April program to current VCA Dance students (2nd or 3rd year only). Students will still need to submit an EOI to be considered.

In partnership with Arts Access Victoria, we are pleased to offer one dedicated place in the April program to a Deaf or Disabled artist.

Accessibility Information – Dancehouse

Out of Bounds will be held in the Sylvia Staehli Theatre which is fully accessible. Access to Dancehouse includes:

• A wheelchair accessible foyer and main theatre with a ramp from entrance on Princes St;
• Automated front door and accessible bathroom;
• An accessible water fountain and entry keypad at the Princes Street entrance;
• An accessible all gendered bathroom with RH toilet, handrail, lever-handled tap, adjustable showerhead and shower bench. Entrance via the foyer.

Please note: Sylvia Staehli Theatre is wheelchair accessible. Unfortunately the Upstairs Studio and Skylab Studio are only accessible via staircase.

If you have any questions or requests please don’t hesitate to contact Dancehouse on 03 9347 2860 or email [email protected]

Submit your EOI

Please submit an Expression of Interest using the Airtable form at the link below. 

We recommend drafting your responses in a separate document before submitting to ensure your work is not lost if the webpage refreshes. 

You will be asked to provide:

• Name of your proposed Out of Bounds piece
• Name of you / your artist/s
• Contact information
• 150 words on your artistic practice
• 250 words on the work you’d like to share at Out of Bounds
• A headshot or image of the work/ artists
• A 200 word short bio per artist
• A link to 2 minutes of video material showing your past choreographic work
• How many people will be involved in the work 

EOI Form