The Future Remembers
Three Digital Stage & Studio commissions
Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage launches three new short film commissions
Apply for The Future Remembers commission
Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage launches three brand-new short film commissions, open to filmmakers and dance artists working at the intersection of dance and moving image. The selected commissions will receive £6,000 and production support from Sadler’s Wells to create a short film that responds to the theme: The Future Remembers. The final selected films will receive their premiere screenings at Sadler’s Wells Dance Digital Film Festival, taking place in November 2027.
The Future Remembers commissions invite artists to explore the relationship between what has come before and what is yet to come, as we navigate a rapidly changing world. The commission is seeking responses to ideas of legacy, responsibility and the futures we are creating together. At a time of environmental uncertainty and accelerating technological change, the commissions are there to ask: what will the future remember?
Applications open now and closes at midnight on 22 November 2026. Selected artists will be interviewed in early December 2026 with successful projects beginning development in January 2027.
To apply for the commission, please fill out the form above to share more about your creative work and a summary of the idea you’d want to bring to life. If you have any questions about the application, please email digitalstage@sadlerswells.com.
The Future Remembers commissions will premiere at Dance Digital Film Festival 2027.
More information
Digital Stage is Sadler’s Wells online platform.
We take audiences beyond our four stages and bring dance straight to your living room. We curate, produce and share dance films, documentaries, live performance captures, dance workshops, podcasts and more. Explore Digital Stage and read more about our work.
We’re looking for Dance on Screen films of a maximum of four minutes in length.
Dance on Screen films showcase dance performances specifically created to be watched on screen, challenging perceptions and pushing the boundaries of what dance and film can be. Explore other films in this category.
This commission is open to dance artists of all styles, aged 18+.
Artists can apply either individually, or as a group or company – but the total fee will remain £6000 for each commission, regardless of the number of individuals involved. We also welcome applications from international dancers as well as those based in the UK, and filming can take place in any location across the globe.
During this commission, you will work with the Sadler’s Wells team to create your Dance on Screen film.
For the selected films, our Sadler’s Wells producer will act as the producer on each project and can work with you to help shape your idea and source a creative team. The Sadler’s Wells in-house filmmaker will also be able to support with editing your film (based on availability). If preferred, you can also work with an external filmmaker or producer that you may already collaborate with.
For the applicants invited to interview, the creative team will be discussed as part of the process. If you have a filmmaker or other creative partners you typically work with and would like to work with on this commission, please include this in your application. All costs including external filmmakers and equipment will need to be covered within the £6000 commission.
The deadline for applications is 10 am on Sunday November 2026.
Artists will then be shortlisted, and all artists will be interviewed in December 2026. Successful projects will begin development in January 2027.