Space for Ideas is an intensive choreographic laboratory aimed at experienced dance makers. Its first stage took place in Sydney in December 2002 (see below). Stage 2 will happen from 30 July - 15 August 2003 and will be led by UK choreographer Sue MacLennan. The project is managed by Ausdance NSW.

The first stage of Space for Ideas - an intensive choreographic laboratory aimed at choreographers working within, and outside of, the mainstream companies - took place in Sydney from 30 November - 20 December 2002. It is a project that has been in development for two years and one that we hope will be an annual event providing a vital opportunity for dance artists to develop ideas outside of the pressure of the rehearsal/production cycle. Sydney currently presents few such opportunities, due largely to a lack of availability of straightforward resources like rehearsal space and available dancers. This has frustrated the progress of independent dance in Sydney and as a result the city compares unfavourably with other state capitals, like Melbourne and Adelaide, which boast thriving independent sectors and to which the world's presenters come to shop for new productions.

Space for Ideas set out to redress this balance. Spanning eighteen working days it comprised a mix of analytical discussion, intensive studio work and concentrated feedback using all four of Sydney Dance Company's outstanding studios. It was targeted at experienced (not 'emerging') artists who have an accumulated body of work but who have had few opportunities to develop it in a way that it could be enhanced by essential audience, presenter and critical feedback. The first six choreographers selected for the program were Kay Armstrong, Josef Brown, Gavin Mitford, Jason Pitt, Dean Walsh and Michael Whaites.

Three internationally renowned artists: Jonathan Burrows (UK/Belgium), Meryl Tankard (AUS) and Lloyd Newson (UK/AUS) were involved in Space for Ideas as facilitating choreographers and eighteen dancers/actors, selected by open audition prior to the start of the project, acted as a 'resource pool' for the six participating choreographers. For these performers it was a rare opportunity to spend an intensive period in a highly stimulating professional environment working with a number of different choreographers, experiencing different choreographic styles and processes, benefiting from feedback from experienced choreographers and developing creative and performance skills.

Space for Ideas was totally process driven, with no outcome such as a public showing or informal sharing. Ideas begun in the laboratory may be developed over the ensuing months and perhaps become the basis of new works to be presented publicly in Australia and overseas. Meanwhile the cross-fertilisation of ideas and practices that took place between the participating artists will greatly benefit the sustained health of NSW dance industry. The twenty-five participating artists had the luxury of time, great space and rigourous feedback from the three international choreographers Jonathan Burrows, Lloyd Newson and Meryl Tankard. Together they played with the beginnings of ideas, developed some choreographic scenarios and spent hours talking about issues ranging from the uniqueness of Australian dance, to the problems faced by choreographers working both within and outside of the mainstream institutions. Best of all was the fact that there was no outcome: Space for Ideas was totally process-driven, with no pressure to produce even a phrase of movement, and there were no public showings at its conclusion.

Four of the participating offer some thoughts on the experience.

Josef Brown
Space For Ideas was not really a space for answers but one for the unique questions choreographers ask themselves before embarking on a work. The laboratory produced more questions than it answered, many quite unexpected, such as: Why am I choosing to use dance and choreography as a mode of expression? And what is it that the dance/movement medium expresses that is unique, if anything? There was much time put aside for dialogue between the choreographers and I learned as much from watching and listening to how my fellow participants approached their work, as I did from anything I discovered while making movement in the studio. The enormous benefits I got from it I believe will flow into the whole of the industry in the medium- to long-term. It is an investment in the artistic future of our country, its 'product' perhaps only realized over the life of the artists involved, via the questions they go on to ask and how their work is informed by this experience.

Kay Armstrong
I was rewarded richly from my three weeks on Space for Ideas. Day after day I saw brilliance, intelligence and gobs of talent from the dancers and choreographers. It made me realise that we need these forums to be happening on a regular basis. There needs to be a constant dialogue between creators and their process and, in such a fragmented dance culture, some seminal connection to fellow dance makers. We must re-educate audiences and convince funding bodies that the exploration of process is just as important as outcomes, bums on seats and a few paragraphs from a biased conservative media. Intelligent, uncompromising and original work will be the natural consequence of such deep and focused investigations.

Dean Walsh
Having the use of SDC studios was, for me, without parallel because of the amenities, the cafe atmosphere and the fact that we're getting closer to sharing resources with the a flagship company. This is a great breakthrough! The intense initial weekend 'hot-seating' process broke down some barriers and allowed us insights to where the other choreographers were in their work, and what they were interested in uncovering during the laboratory. I decided to work with a number of performers during the process because I thought the opportunity was so rare. It was quite simply one of the most advantageous periods of my career, and at such a timely point in it. Because the laboratory wasn't outcome related I was able to take a number of ideas and ride them for what they were (or were not) worth. And I held a number of discussions with the team about the issues I was interested to excavate and this alone had huge beneficial qualities.

Gavin Mitford
I found a definite freedom in this opportunity to explore and experiment without having the resulting material assessed, reviewed or exposed to the pressures usually involved in the creation of a work. Probably because I haven't been such an environment before I ventured down choreographic paths I would not normally have risked and as a result I arrived at processes, experiences and ultimately material I would not have under other circumstances. I entered into Space for Ideas wanting desperately to develop my own ' style'. It makes me laugh when I think about it now - which is perhaps an indication of how much I learnt! I think the other obvious outcome was the breaking down of the invisible barrier that exists between Sydney Dance Company (the 'institution') and the rest of the dance community in Sydney (the 'independents') to form a positive environment where the best from both worlds was absorbed. I know in retrospect I will look back on this time as invaluable and I think the lab is already an excellent prototype for the future.

We offer our grateful thanks to Jonathan Burrows, Lloyd Newson and Meryl Tankard and to the wonderful performers who gave their time to be part of Space for Ideas: Alissa Bruce, Julieanne Bergmann, Loretta Brades, Emma Canalese, Victoria Chiu, Paul Cordeiro, Tom Davies, Carol Dilley, Claire Holland, Emma Leake, Amanda Martyn, Michael McLeod, Amitie Merrey, Marnie Palomares, Elizabeth Ryan, Emma Saunders, Latai Taumoepeau, Jade Dewi Tyas Tungaal and Matt Young.