the New Dimensions Commission

The New Dimensions commission was formed in 2023 by Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (Brighton), Battersea Arts Centre (London), Take Me Somewhere (Glasgow), Tramway (Glasgow) and Transform (Leeds) and is the only fund of its kind in the UK which is designed to embolden and allow mid-scale artists to take the next step in their careers, to support homegrown work being taken to new audiences and grow the UK’s relationship with international venues.

2025 commission: Malik Nashad Sharpe

Award-winning artist and choreographer Malik Nashad Sharpe (Marikiscrycrycry) will present his first large-scale performance as the recipient of a major commission, with development support and guidance from New Dimensions.

The New Dimensions Partners said on this year’s selection:

“We have long been admirers of Malik’s work and were delighted to invite them to apply for the New Dimensions 2025 commission. Malik’s practice boldly and unapologetically mixes genre and aesthetic, as well as freely combining dance, theatre and live art forms and we are excited for him to devise The Healing Industry in the signature style. This project will allow Malik to expand their practice with a large-scale team and technical ambition, working in new and exciting ways for both him and us as partners. We are thrilled to accompany them on this journey and support their ambitions and can’t wait for the audience to see what Malik achieves.”

About Malik Nashad Sharpe

Malik Nashad Sharpe is known for his provocative performance that address themes of violence, alienation, horror and melancholia. He frequently choreographs under his alias, Marikiscrycrycry. In 2019, he was named a Rising Star in Dance by Attitude Magazine and in 2022, he was featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his unique and pervasive choreographic achievements. His shows have been presented across the UK, Europe, and Canada, he is an Associate Artist at The Place and a studio resident of Somerset House Studios. He has held residencies at Sadlers Wells, Barbican and Tate Modern amongst others.

“I am honoured to have been given this immense opportunity to create my largest-scale work to date. New Dimensions comes at an exciting juncture in my career where I feel thirsty for my choreography to meet a level of ambition that is only afforded by an amazing opportunity like this. Since 2015, I have been creating thought-provoking stage works that look at some of the most pressing social and cultural questions of our time, and I am eager to start on my latest enquiry; interrogating the terms Hope and Progress by examining the industrialisation of healing and healing culture from an almost Nietzschean perspective. The Healing Industry will open in the Autumn of 2027, and I am thankful to the partners for believing in my work and creative principles.”

Malik Nashad Sharpe

2023 commission: Dan Daw Creative Projects

In February we launched New Dimensions with five UK partners, a commissioning programme to support UK artists to scale up their practice and create new ambitious work for national and international touring. Battersea Arts Centre (London), Take Me Somewhere (Glasgow), Tramway (Glasgow), Transform (Leeds) and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts (Brighton) created this partnership to nurture and support ambition through a package of support that includes £50k commission, residency space, fundraising and producing support.

We received an overwhelming 240 applications to the open call, with many brilliant ideas from artists expressing how rare these opportunities to create works of scale are for contemporary performance makers. The response to this call has shown us how vital it is that we continue to develop, strategise and advocate for the conditions needed for more works of scale to be made in the UK, so that we can offer more opportunities in the future.

“We are thrilled to support Dan Daw Creative Projects’ first large scale work, Spenny [later EXXY], with this commission. We fell in love with their previous work, The Dan Daw Show, and recognize their potential to engage diverse audiences on a grand scale. Their joyful and unapologetic approach intertwines their lived experience, incorporating queer, Crip, and working-class politics into the core of their creations. We admire that Spenny fearlessly tackles the theme of desiring more money and resources amidst ongoing economic crises. This is a pivotal moment for the company as they aim to expand, and we are excited about their eagerness to explore intimacy within larger spaces. We are delighted to accompany them on this journey and support their ambitions."  - New Dimensions Partners

Read the interview with Dan Daw on the Battersea Arts Centre website.

We presented Dan Daw’s EXXY, a New Dimensions Commission at Take Me Somewhere 2025.