Stomping Ground 2026 Call-Out launched

Stomping Ground - a commissioning group comprised of Tramway, CityMoves, Creative Crawley, FABRIC, FESTIVAL.ORG, Pagrav Dance Company, Strike A Light and The Place - has launched a new call-out.

The group - which works with artists to develop ambitious, high-quality work created for outdoor spaces - is looking to commission a short solo or duet that can be toured to primary schools, festivals and other public spaces around the country.

Deadline for applications - 29 October 2025

The selected piece will receive:

• a £20,000 commission
• up to 2 weeks of studio space in kind at The Place (London) - one of Europe’s most exciting, innovative dance spaces
• guidance on producing outdoor work for children
• performance opportunities with the commissioning partners.

The piece will be co-produced by The Place as part of The Playground 2026, and go on a 5-week tour around schools and family festivals. It should be created with children as the primary audience in mind. However, we welcome proposals from artists interested in adapting aspects of the work for presentation to broader audiences in a festival setting.

For the full call-out, including application information, visit The Place website 

We have supported a wide range of outdoor practices since the group’s inception in 2018. Our goal is to support compelling ideas originally conceived for the outdoors that have a strong impact and engage across a broad audience base, and which integrate access for audiences in imaginative ways. Shows commissioned by Stomping Ground have been presented in diverse contexts, including urban, rural, festival, and high street settings.

Stomping Ground has previously commissioned works by Robby Graham, Requardt & Rosenberg, Joseph Toonga, Pagrav Dance Company, AndroidX + MHz, Jessica Walker, Richard Chappell Dance and Francesca Baglione (Miss High Leg Kick).

This year we are delighted to welcome new partners, and to announce a focus for 2026 on dance for primary aged children.