Turn


New North West dance.

Updated 26 November 2024

Turn is our annual platform for North West† dancers and dance-makers — an opportunity to engage with new dance in Greater Manchester each spring.

The twelfth edition, Turn 2025 will take place at Contact on Friday 4 April from 7pm — presenting up to ten short dance-works throughout the building.

Get a feel for it with 2024’s programme & image gallery, 2023’s programme/gallery, 2017’s programme/gallery.

Greater Manchester’s open call dance platform, Turn aims to be:
— a public micro-festival and open submission platform;
— an opportunity for artists to meet, show, and peer-review work;
— an artist networking event;
— and is open to North West England† dancers and dance-makers, aged 18+

North West England consists of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside; it does NOT include Yorkshire or Derbyshire.

Turn 2025 Call for Proposals is now Open

North West† dancers and dance-makers (aged 18+) are invited to submit proposals of: short finished pieces of work, excerpts or extracts of longer works, or works-in-progress, for inclusion in this annual event.

For details and to apply please go to turnmcr.posthaven.com
Proposal Deadline: Friday 31 January 2025, 5pm

Turn 2025 will be:
— a single evening of public performances on Friday 4 April;
— followed by an artist day on Saturday 5 April, incorporating a workshop or masterclasses and feedback sessions;
— and participating artists will be expected to attend both days.

Turn 2025 presented by Word of Warning + Contact; produced by hÅb; supported by Company Chameleon, Contact, Dance Consortia North West, Project Auske, and using public funding by Arts Council England.

Enquiries: turn@habmcr.org · TurnMcr.org

Past Editions

First held at greenroom in spring 2009, Turn moved to Contact in 2012 (with a 2018-22 hiatus) and popped-up at Company Chameleon Studios in 2024.

The ninth edition trialled a new format, with a dozen short dance-works shown on 28 April 2017, followed by a day of professional development.

After a hiatus the tenth edition returned to Contact, with nine short dance-works (see images) on 10 March 2023, followed by an artist day.

The eleventh edition took place at Company Chameleon Studios, with eight short dance-works in just the one studio (see images) on 22 March 2024, also followed by an artist day.

Turn Prize 2024

On 30 April 2024 we were delighted to announce Fabíola Santana and Louiseanne Wong as the recipients of the Turn Prize 2024. The Turn Prize is a commission for the development of work by North West-based dance-makers.

Turn Prize 2024 supported by Dance Consortia North West using public funding by Arts Council England, and by Company Chameleon, hÅb, and Project Auske.

Image: Lizzy Owen in Turn 2023 at Contact by Tamsin Drury.