About New Works
New Works is a Vancouver-based non-profit organization that is dedicated to developing and supporting dance communities through accessible art engagement.
On the ground, that work takes many different forms; we strive to respond to the needs of a diversity of dance practitioners, audiences, and arts workers through a contemporary cultural lens. How can we best support and make space for the development of dance artists today? That answer (and our subsequent suite of program and presentation activities) has shifted subtly and significantly over the last three decades. Through it all, we continue to be guided by the commitment to supporting dance artists, cultivating audiences, and providing and promoting diverse and accessible performance experiences. We strive to remove systemic barriers positioned against equity-owed practices and practitioners, and carry innovation, collaboration, and community at the core of all our programs.
New Works programs support artists by:
- Providing meaningful opportunities to interact, lead, and teach, as well as perform;
- Connecting culturally specific dance communities with new audiences and forms, thereby nurturing a shared sense of ownership and belonging within the dance world;
- Making diverse dance events accessible to multiple communities; and
- Providing performance opportunities for diverse dance artists and companies.
New Works respectfully acknowledges the sovereignty of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations on whose traditional, unceded and occupied territories we live, work, and dance. We commit to dedicating time and resources to stand and work in solidarity with Indigenous Artists and communities and to support their visions and goals.
History
New Works was founded in 1993 by Barb Clausen and a group of like-minded cultural workers as a forum to discuss and explore contemporary performance-based work. Inspired by the wealth of talent and innovative ideas in Vancouver’s arts community, New Works incorporated as a not-for-profit society to create a vehicle for the production and presentation of contemporary performing arts in a range of disciplines.
Since 1998 New Works has operated as a management and production organization, providing stable, affordable management services to some of Vancouver’s most innovative dance artists and companies.
New Works has carved a distinct and singular niche for itself in Vancouver by responding to the needs of dance artists and organizations for professional performance opportunities and affordable management services. New Works has also responded to the desire and curiosity of general audiences for accessible dance programming by offering an ongoing presentation series at low or no cost rates. Our programming reflects cultural diversity in dance, the high level of dance activity in Vancouver and the desire for innovative, community-responsive projects that bring new audiences to dance.
Today, the organization is stewarded by a dedicated staff team and volunteer board members.
Top photo: Company 605, 2008-09, photo by Chris Randle.