This week, Trinity Laban welcomes dance artist Faye Tan for a week-long Research and Development residency with MA/MFA Dance Performance students, marking the first of two artist residencies selected through a student-led open call process.
Faye Tan is in residence from Monday 20 to Friday 24 April, with choreographer Jordan James Bridge set to join students from Monday 11 to Friday 15 May.
Selected directly by the students, both artists proposed distinct lines of enquiry rooted in their current choreographic research. The residency format provides a focused and supportive environment for these ideas to be explored in depth with a group of 13 dancers – offering a valuable opportunity for experimentation and collaborative development.
With an emphasis on process over product, the residencies are designed as exploratory spaces rather than production-driven outcomes. While there may be an informal studio sharing at the end of each week, there is no expectation to produce finished work. Instead, the focus is on sustained enquiry, creative risk-taking, and the exchange of ideas.
For the students, the experience offers the opportunity to work intensively with artists they have personally selected, fostering a strong sense of engagement and ownership. Alongside studio-based practice, the residencies will include time for open discussion, enabling students to gain insight into professional pathways, choreographic processes, and the wider dance landscape.
The initiative also represents a significant opportunity for the selected artists. With dedicated studio time and access to a cohort of highly skilled dancers, both Faye Tan and Jordan James Bridge are able to extend and test their choreographic ideas at scale, in a context that prioritises curiosity and research. This space for focused development, free from the immediate pressures of production, supports the evolution of their practice while fostering meaningful dialogue with emerging performers.
Through initiatives such as this, Trinity Laban continues to support the development of thoughtful, adaptable, and critically engaged artists, creating meaningful connections between training and the evolving professional field.