Fabric is a dance development organisation based in the Midlands.
Our mission is to create the conditions for dance to flourish, contributing to the health, wellbeing, development and connection of individuals, communities and cultures.
Drawing on more than 60 years of experience, we harness our skills, knowledge, and expertise to create expansive programmes that deliver lasting and meaningful change.
We celebrate the social value of dance and movement by connecting people, sharing ideas and building partnerships. We believe through creativity, performance, participation and learning, more people can experience the benefits of the artform in their lives and communities.
Our home cities and the communities we serve and collaborate with are constantly changing. Their diversity of cultures, practices, and perspectives makes the Midlands an extraordinary place for dance and continually inspires our work.
We imagine a future where dance continues to thrive, innovate and transform lives for decades to come.
Dance moves people
dance moves people: a 10 year strategy sets out our vision, mission and values that we hope will create the conditions for dance to flourish, both in the Midlands and beyond.
It is both a strategy and an invitation: a statement of intent that defines how we will act, and an open call for collaboration with the many people, communities and partners who can, and do, shape dance.
What we do
We have a strategic role in developing the artform, through our four cornerstones:
Research – holding a space of curiosity driven by the desire to understand more about what dance is, what it can be, and what impact it can have physically, emotionally, socially, culturally and curatorially
Engagement – creating an accessible and sustainable environment for organisations, artists and practitioners to connect with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, for the joy of dance in all its forms. We do this through work like our class programme, Applause Youth Dance Festival, and Keep Moving.
Sector Development – creating, identifying and supporting conditions for growth through strategic conversations that connect artists, participants, and the work, politically, culturally, and socially. We play a role in the Dance Leaders Group (DLG) an open, independent network of dance professionals and leaders in the West Midlands and events like Talking, Thinking, Dancing.
Presentation and Showcasing – producing, co-producing and championing art and performance with dance and movement at its core. Through programmes like nottdance, a festival of extraordinary dance, and THIS IS DANCE, an ambitious collaboration across Birmingham that builds on the legacy of Birmingham International Dance Festival, we ensure the artform is recognised for the essential role it plays in the UK’s cultural and creative offering.
Our values
Our approach is informed by care, openness, and rigour through the curatorial values of:
Curiosity – an openness to taking risks, being uncertain, and asking difficult questions.
Disruption – embracing risk-taking, action and investment, that might disrupt old or accepted ways of working.
and Joy – the lens through which everything should be seen and or/approached.
Our team
How to get here
Our history
News
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Writings & Podcasts
Archive
Find out more about our past residencies, the artists we’ve worked with and the work they’ve developed.