THIS IS DANCE and Fierce Festival 2026 double launch their autumn seasons
We were delighted to join Fierce Festival this week for a double launch party of their 2026 festival programme, alongside the new autumn dance season presented by THIS IS DANCE.
Fierce Festival 14-18 October 2026
We‘ve enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Fierce, united by a shared commitment to bringing extraordinary dance and choreographic practice to Birmingham.
At this year’s Fierce Festival, the programme includes 7 performances that will be featured within the THIS IS DANCE programme, including a co-presentation with Fabric of Weathering by Faye Driscoll at Midlands Arts Centre, from Wednesday 14 to Friday 16 October – a unique opportunity to see this critically acclaimed show for its only performance in the UK.
“Fabric is a cultural force in the creative sector. Bringing a monumental work like Faye Driscoll’s Weathering to Fierce Festival this October would simply be impossible without their vision and unwavering belief in the power of dance and contemporary performance. This is Dance is a transformational approach to collaboration in connecting Birmingham with itself and with the rest of the world and we couldn’t be more thrilled that so much of our programme sits within it.”
Clayton Lee, Artistic Director of Fierce
See Fierce Festival’s 2026 full programme
“Our partnership with Fierce reflects a shared belief that collaboration can achieve more than any one organisation alone. Through co-presenting, we expand the possibilities for artists, attract work that might not otherwise be seen in Birmingham, and create richer experiences for audiences by bringing together complementary artistic perspectives and expertise.”
Paul Russ, Fabric’s CEO and Artistic Director
THIS IS DANCE Autumn Season
This collaborative approach is central to the vision for THIS IS DANCE, the growing collective of presenting partners, co-producers, and commissioning organisations, which includes Fabric, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Rep, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Fierce Festival and Sampad Arts. In its first season THIS IS DANCE presented 22 shows in 7 venues and galleries and offered over 10 unique opportunities for audiences to interact with the artists.
“THIS IS DANCE demonstrates how organisations with distinct identities can work collectively to grow the city’s cultural offer, strengthen Birmingham’s reputation for bold and adventurous performance, and create the conditions for dance and choreography to reach wider audiences and have greater impact than would be possible independently, helping to position Birmingham as a city where adventurous dance and performance can flourish,”
Paul Russ, Fabric’s CEO and Artistic Director
Now in its second year, the partnership’s new autumn season features performances by local, national, and international artists across a range of venues and contexts, challenging expectations of what dance can be, and bringing joy to audiences in Birmingham.
Highlights include: The Car Man by Matthew Bourne Tuesday 13-Saturday 17 October at the Birmingham Hippodrome, Weathering by Faye Driscoll Wednesday 14-Friday 16 October at Midlands Arts Centre, and a trio of works in The Patrick Studio – The Dirty Work by Jo Bannon on Saturday 7 November, Graces by Silvia Gribaudi Friday 20 November, and Anatomy of Survival by Fauke Requardt & Vivienne Franzmann on Thursday 26 November.
Explore THIS IS DANCE autumn programme
Talking, Thinking, Dancing
The THIS IS DANCE partnership also connects with festivals and projects throughout the Midlands, and coming up soon is Talking Thinking Dancing which will be taking place in the first weekend of February 2027.
Talking, Thinking, Dancing gathers industry professionals together in the Midlands to explore choreographic research, dance performance, and sector development from the region and beyond. Across the programme, delegates will experience finished works, engage in sector‑wide conversations and connect with peers, ensuring that Birmingham’s audiences are part of a wider conversation about dance across the UK and beyond. Part of the programme will include a new show by São Paulo Dance Company at Birmingham Hippodrome ,co-presented by Dance Consortium.
If you’re interested in attending, or in presenting work by UK-based artists, we invite you to register your interest. A limited number of bursaries will be available to support international travel and accommodation.
Registration opens in September 2026, when we’ll share more about the programme.
