RESIDENCIES
ODAC is spaces for making, for the early stages, for the meeting point of people where great ideas can happen. Whenever possible, we’re interested in artists and companies spending several weeks of their process in our studios, and sometimes building long-term relationships between artists and local residents.
We offer residencies on an ad-hoc basis, and through more formalised programmes.
We Too Shall See / Wehna Kaman Hanshoof & Milk Presents, photo credit: Zbigniew Kotkiewicz
ARTISTIC POLICY
As a creation centre, our focus is on making. ODAC’s in-house programmes support contemporary artists working in interdisciplinary performance, live, participatory and social practices, regardless of background or training. We are excited by innovative collaborations across disciplines and forms, especially outside of the arts.
We collaborate with artists from around London, the UK and internationally to support their development and projects, share and amplify their perspectives with our creative and local communities, and together build the world we want to live and work in.
Our centre’s current studios are made primarily for performing arts use, but we enable a broader range of artistic creation and forms through additional spaces and partnerships.
Photo credit: Zbigniew Kotkiewicz
We collaborate with artists who have a vision of the world they want to be part of, and who are finding new ways to make it together.
CHAIR! BY GERALDINE PILGRIM
When did our public seating disappear, and what would happen if we brought it back?
In Spring 2026, we were delighted to support Geraldine Pilgrim with free residency space at ODAC as she worked on her upcoming performance ‘CHAIR!’, an outdoor site-specific pop-up performance that celebrates the act of sitting down.
Set in a dreamlike world, CHAIR! imagines how we can once again have public spaces that care. Where people can sit uninterrupted, ready to relax, work, remember and have time and place to dream. This performance with chairs, plus every day and surreal objects and actions, reiterates the fact that everyone has the right to sit down.
CHAIR! will be performed at Norwich & Norfolk Festival and Brighton Festival in May, and Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (GDIF) in August.
NEW NARRATIVES 2025
New Narratives is a studio space residency programme at ODAC, supporting the creation of new performance projects that challenge conventions and offer fresh perspectives on the world.
This year, we are proud to support five bold and diverse productions through New Narratives, chosen from a competitive pool of over 60 applications. Spanning a range of forms and voices, these projects reflect the richness of contemporary theatre-making. The artists behind them took up residency in our studios, benefitting from free, dedicated rehearsal space as they developed their work.
You can find more information about the artists in residence here.
PARALLEL PERSPECTIVES
Located in very different environments, both ODAC and LEVEL are predominantly spaces for making and exploration, without performance spaces.
We’re delighted to announce that the artists and companies selected for the residencies are Lisa Hammond & Rachael Spence - ‘Bunny’; Tam Reynolds a.k.a. Midgitte Bardot; and Jonny Leitch, Elana Binysh & Jenny Davies, who all receive studio space in the new year and a financial contribution towards their time and expenses on the project.
Creative Director, Daniel Pitt said: ‘As ODAC continues to step up our artist support activities, we're delighted to partner with Level as another 'creation centre' with a complementary perspective so that together we can provide space for reflection and focus for disabled artists' new ideas.’
You can find out more about the artist selected for this commission and their projects in our ‘IN THE SPACE WITH…’ interview series. We spoke with Jonny Leitch, Elana Binysh and Jenny Davies about their project ‘Never Made Sense’ and Tam Reynolds on their show ‘Shooting from Below’.