Four new large-scale venues join Dance Consortium

Dance Consortium, the membership organisation whose mission is to bring high-quality international dance to audiences across the UK and Ireland, has announced four new members.

In 2023, Dance Consortium successfully received Transform programme funding from Arts Council England to implement an organisational change programme led by Chief Executive Joe Bates. This has had a significant impact on the Consortium’s infrastructure and its strategic mission, positioning it to play a vital leadership role across the wider dance sector.
 
Joe Bates says: “We are absolutely delighted to have welcomed these four new members to Dance Consortium alongside another two venues that joined in 2024. This brings our membership to 24, the largest since the Consortium was established 25 years ago. It demonstrates a real appetite for more dance from our large-scale venues who want to diversify their programmes and provide high-quality dance experiences for their local communities. 
 
Dance Consortium is the largest touring network covering the UK and Ireland. As well as delivering tours and engagement programmes, we provide opportunities for the different venue teams (such as marketing, technical, programming and engagement) to come together to share expertise, increase their knowledge and connect with peers across the country. By increasing the membership of the consortium with venues in places such as Blackpool, Aberdeen, High Wycombe and Buxton, Dance Consortium continues to ensure that everyone in the country is never too far away from seeing the very best dance companies from around the globe.”
 
Sharon Burgess, Chief Executive of Aberdeen Performing Arts which runs His Majesty’s Theatre, says: “As an organisation, we are committed to deepening internationalism in our programming and reaching new and more diverse audiences across the region. Dance plays a central role in these ambitions — it’s a powerful, universal art form that transcends language and resonates with a broad spectrum of people. Without the infrastructure, networks, and curatorial expertise of Dance Consortium, we would simply not have the means to present work of this scale, quality, or global significance. This collaborative touring model gives us access to exceptional companies and productions that would otherwise be out of reach, while also providing a sustainable framework for sharing risk and building capacity.” 
 
Adam Knight, Chief Executive of Blackpool Grand Theatre and Co-Founder of the Local Theatre Touring Alliance, says: “Dance is an essential component of our programme at Blackpool Grand Theatre that opens fresh ways for people to connect with the stories on our stage. Collaborating with partners like Dance Consortium to present large-scale dance enables us to introduce this dynamic art form to wider audiences, breaking down barriers and ensuring that everyone can experience the transformative power of dance. Through these partnerships that help make staging world-class dance more affordable, we’re not only enriching our programme but also fostering a deeper connection with our community and inspiring the next generation of theatregoers.” 
 
Dance Consortium’s next two tours are a nine-venue tour of Teaċ Daṁsa and Michael Keegan-Dolan’s MÁM from 3 February to 4 March 2026 and a 14-venue tour of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo from 30 April to 24 June.