Emerging and established dancers across the Liverpool City Region are invited to audition for an exciting new performance opportunity with IRIE! dance theatre, celebrating cultural identity, freedom and the power of movement.
Liverpool’s vibrant dance community is being offered an exciting opportunity to take centre stage as African Routes: Fair Play 2026 announces auditions for a specially commissioned dance theatre production. Taking place on Saturday 24th October 2026, from 11am to 3.30pm at The Black-E in Liverpool, the auditions will bring together aspiring and experienced dancers for a creative project celebrating African and Caribbean dance.
Organised by IRIE! dance theatre in partnership with The Black-E, the initiative is part of the wider African Routes: Fair Play 2026 dance and cultural festival, which explores the themes of fairness, freedom and friendship through dance, music, artistic expression and cultural exchange.
The opportunity also includes a £500 bursary for each of up to eight selected performers, providing financial support alongside valuable professional development and performance experience.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE TICKETS TO THE AUDITION
A Platform for Emerging and Established Talent
The project aims to recruit up to eight dancers aged 18 and over from across the Liverpool City Region, including dance students, recent graduates and established performers. Successful applicants will work alongside the professional artistic team at IRIE! dance theatre, a company recognised for championing African and Caribbean dance fusion and contemporary performance practices.
Together, the dancers will develop an original 20-minute production exploring the theme of Freedom, drawing inspiration from African and Caribbean cultural traditions, contemporary movement and the lived experiences of diasporic communities. The finished work will premiere on 7th November as part of the African Routes 2026 Triple Bill, sharing the programme with IRIE! dance theatre’s professional company and featured guest artists.
The opportunity also includes a £500 bursary for each of up to eight selected performers, providing financial support alongside valuable professional development and performance experience.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE TICKETS TO THE AUDITION
Celebrating Cultural Identity Through Dance
More than an audition, the initiative represents an opportunity to explore the relationship between movement, cultural heritage and personal storytelling. African and Caribbean dance traditions have made significant contributions to contemporary British performance culture. Through this project, participants will have the opportunity to engage with those traditions while exploring how dance can communicate experiences of identity, belonging and freedom.
The audition day will feature practical sessions covering Caribbean Fusion, West African Dance, understanding drum language and voice, and creative movement. These sessions will allow participants to demonstrate their artistic abilities, engage with different movement styles and experience a collaborative creative environment.
The organisers particularly welcome applicants from Global Majority and ethnically diverse backgrounds, alongside dancers interested in African and Caribbean fusion and related movement practices. Beyond developing technical skills, the project offers opportunities to build professional relationships, gain insight into the choreographic process and connect with Liverpool’s wider creative community.
The opportunity also includes a £500 bursary for each of up to eight selected performers, providing financial support alongside valuable professional development and performance experience.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE TICKETS TO THE AUDITION
African Routes 2026: Fairness, Freedom and Friendship
The auditions form part of a much larger celebration of Black dance, heritage and cultural expression. Running from 6th–8th November 2026 at The Black-E, African Routes: Fair Play will bring together artists, academics, educators, community leaders and audiences for three days of performances, discussions, workshops and masterclasses. The programme is structured around three central themes:
- Fairness – Friday 6th November: Exploring equality, education, access and representation within the dance industry.
- Freedom – Saturday 7th November: Celebrating artistic expression, creative leadership and the power of movement, culminating in the evening Triple Bill.
- Friendship – Sunday 8th November: Highlighting community connections, shared experiences and the role of dance in bringing people together.
The festival will feature prominent contributors including nora chipaumire, Dr Sharon Watson MBE DL, Beverley Glean MBE, Akeim Toussaint Buck and Francis Angol. Curated by Karen Gallagher MBE, African Routes continues to create space for important conversations about representation, opportunity and the future of African and Caribbean dance within Britain’s cultural landscape.
The opportunity also includes a £500 bursary for each of up to eight selected performers, providing financial support alongside valuable professional development and performance experience.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE TICKETS TO THE AUDITION
Creating Opportunities for Liverpool’s Dance Community
For dancers across Merseyside, the project provides an opportunity to participate in a professional production while contributing their own creative voices and cultural experiences. Successful applicants will take part in an intensive creation period from Sunday 1st November to Friday 6th November 2026, before presenting the finished work on Saturday 7th November.
The experience is designed to support artistic development, encourage collaboration and strengthen connections between emerging performers and established dance professionals. It also reflects The Black-E’s longstanding commitment to community engagement, cultural diversity and making artistic opportunities accessible to people from different backgrounds. As African Routes continues to grow, initiatives such as this demonstrate how cultural events can move beyond showcasing established talent to actively nurturing the next generation of performers.
IRIE! Dance Theatre Auditions / Saturday 24th October 2026, 11am-3.30pm / The Black-E, 1 Great George Street, Liverpool, L1 5EW
CLICK HERE FOR FREE TICKETS TO THE AUDITION
