Innovation Award 2025 nomination round starts
From today, it is possible to nominate choreographers for the Innovation Award Nederlandse Dansdagen Maastricht.
9 January 2025
The Nederlandse Dansdagen (ND) are by and for everyone who loves dance, and ND aims to introduce the power of dance to as large and broad an audience as possible. This means we encourage making dance accessible to everyone. The
Innovation Award Nederlandse Dansdagen Maastricht puts current developments and exceptional talent in the spotlight.
Nederlandse Dansdagen is calling on dance lovers and dance professionals to nominate choreographers for the Innovation Award 2025. Nominations can be made until Friday 7 February 2025.
Innovation Award criteria
For the first time in 2025, the nomination is linked to a specific approach, based on the desire to contribute to an inclusive society through dance. This year, the Innovation Award focuses specifically on creators who (want to) create work for or with people who, due to their mental or physical disability or mental vulnerability, are less likely to come into contact with dance.
This may involve removing barriers to experiencing dance, but also using dance to enhance physical and mental resilience, or creating a meaningful and distinctive performance for or about people with a disability or mental vulnerability.
Other important criteria for nominations are that the choreographers work in the Netherlands and have already realised a number of eye-catching projects here, but do not yet receive a structural subsidy. Both choreographers who make independent productions and choreographers who create work for companies can be nominated. Choreographers who have been nominated or nominated in previous years may also compete again for the award. Previous winners are excluded from nominations.
An independent jury will nominate three makers from the entries who will pitch their idea for a new project. During Nederlandse Dansdagen 2025, the jury will announce which choreographer will receive the prize for the best, most innovative idea. The amount of money available is € 25,000 and is made possible by the Municipality of Maastricht. This sum will be used to create a new work, which will be premiered during Nederlandse Dansdagen 2026.
