APPLICATION

AWA DANCE is now accepting applications for its 2025 Mentorship Programme.

The charity AWA DANCE mentoring scheme is for professional women in dance to develop your leadership skills in order for you to take the next steps towards your aspirations and goals.

If you are seeking to boost your career or perhaps change direction within the dance sector, AWA DANCE can guide you into taking the next step. We want to hear from professionals in the UK dance sector who are interested in developing leadership skills to progress their career. The charity AWA DANCE, which celebrates its 5th year in 2025, is the only organisation in the UK dance sector promoting leadership for women and girls. Join us to be guided by accomplished women professionals, leading within the industry and feel empowered by women supporting women.

What will you gain?
1. An expanded network
2. Time to focus and reflect on your career goals
3. Strengthen your confidence and acquire leadership skills relevant to your goals

What we offer:
Our 7 month mentorship programme (May-November) gives participants access to some of the most successful women in the UK dance sector. You will have one to one sessions with your matched mentor (based on your goals), group sessions and the opportunity to have individual time and feedback from AWA DANCE Director, Avatâra Ayuso. We provide you with tailored information and resources including a private online Resource Hub. To monitor your development throughout the programme, we support you by providing tools to track and analyse your progress.

The 7 month programme includes:
- 3 x 1h one-to-one mentoring sessions with an allocated mentor
- 3 x 1h30min group mentoring sessions with Avatâra Ayuso, founder & director of AWA DANCE
- 1 x 30min one-to-one session with Avatâra Ayuso
- A dedicated online Resource Hub with a variety of leadership resources
- Opportunity to observe one AWA DANCE online team meeting in Autumn 2025
- A personal Leadership progress tracking from your start to the end of the programme
- Free or discounted rates to relevant AWA DANCE’s events
- Travel bursary to meet your mentor in person for one session
- Safeguarding training (level 2) specific to working with women and girls
- Certificate of completion

2025 Mentors:
You will be matched with an experienced woman in the UK dance sector. Some of our previous mentors have been Seeta Patel, Lucy McCruden, Michelle Norton, Kamara Gray, Viviana Durante, Shelley Maxwell, Eva Martinez, Loise Richards, among others. The matching will occur after the selection process has taken place.
Past AWA DANCE Mentees have said:
The 1:1 sessions with my mentor have been transformative. [...] I feel empowered to make decisions from a place of confidence rather than fear.
(Mentee 2024)

The programme surpassed my expectations and has really had a huge impact on the way I view myself and my work.
(Mentee 2024)

I have developed hugely as a person and leader within only a few months. The programme is very well thought through, feels safe yet challenging, creates a community and is thoroughly enjoyable too. I would recommend to everybody in the sector!
(Mentee 2023)
Total Cost*:
Organisational applicants : £500
Freelance applicants: £350

If you are paying for the programme yourself - please choose 'the individual'
If your organisation/employer is paying - please choose 'the organisation'

*If needed, freelancers can pay in two installments
*Please note that all places on this programme are highly subsidised by AWA DANCE, this fee represents only a third of the actual cost.
Criteria to apply:
  • Must identify as a woman
  • Based in the UK
  • Must be a professional in the Dance sector: You can be a Choreographer, Producer, Photographer, Movement Director, Teacher, Dance Writer, Dancer, Podcaster, etc
  • Not currently in education and must have at least 3 years of professional experience in the sector
  • You can be at any stage of your career
  • You don't need to have formal training, but professional experience is essential
  • Do their best to attend the online group mentoring sessions: dates in May, July and October (to be decided with the chosen cohort)
We actively encourage applications from diverse backgrounds including those who are from ethnic minorities, have disabilities, a low social-economic status or from other underrepresented groups. We value creating equal opportunities and providing a nurturing environment which we understand to positively impact AWA DANCE and its participants.

How to Apply
To apply for this project, please submit the following:
  • Application Form*
  • Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form*
* If you require any of the application materials in alternative format or wish to discuss submitting an application in an alternative format, please don’t hesitate to contact vittoria@awadance.org. Additionally, if you are unable to complete the Application & Monitoring form in the given written format, please email vittoria@awadance.org who can arrange a phone or video call to take down your answers. All monitoring form discussions will be kept strictly confidential.

Deadline for applications: Friday 16th March, 10pm

We will respond to every application with an outcome, however due to anticipating a high number of applications we will not be able to give feedback to applicants who are not shortlisted.

We are looking forward to meeting you!
Best wishes
AWA DANCE Team

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* 1.
Your Details

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* 2. Who would pay for this 7 month mentoring programme?  If your organisation/employer is paying - please choose 'the organisation'. If you are paying for the programme yourself - please choose 'the individual'

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* 3.
Please upload a copy of your CV

PDF, DOC, DOCX file types only.
Choose File

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* 4.
Tell us briefly about yourself (about your background, craft, and personality) Max. 500 words

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* 5.
Why will this mentorship programme benefit you at this stage of your career/life, and which particular aspect would you like to concentrate on during this mentorship? Max. 500 words

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* 6.
In your current professional practice, what are 3 things you’re most interested to develop further or learn more about?

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* 7.
Give us three words to describe your life right now and give us three words to describe where you want to be...

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* 8.
As part of the application we also require each applicant to complete our Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form. This form is anonymous and is stored separately to your application.

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* 9.
Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Thank you. We will give you an answer by early April the latest.
Please remember to click SUBMIT here below!

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