Springback Academy 2026 – Open Call

After Umeå, Barcelona, Pilsen, Aarhus, Sofia, Paris, Elefsina, Dublin, Darmstadt and Gorizia, Springback Academy is once again offering aspiring dance writers the opportunity to be mentored in the fundamentals of quality dance journalism in the action-packed environment of the annual Spring Forward festival.

Co-ordinated by Brussels-based Academy director Oonagh Duckworth, 10 participants will hone their critical writing skills under the guidance of four professional dance writers, publishing in English, and having the chance to create, shape and share international conversations about dance. It’s an intensive, fast-track route to gain experience and technique in responsible, effective, attractive dance journalism as well as to explore and understand the opportunities that digital publishing has to offer.

Springback Academy is open to writers based in Europe who are proficient in written and spoken English (not necessarily as a first language).

Successful applicants will receive mentorship, accommodation, agreed travel costs, hospitality, a pass to the Spring Forward festival and the opportunity to participate in future Springback activities, including Springback Assembly and contributing to Springback Magazine. Participants will be required to organise their own return travel to the festival.

What Springback Academy 2026 will entail:

We are looking for 10 people with an interest in, or some prior experience of writing about dance but who are not well established within the field. They will be mentored by our lead critics including Emily May (Times Literary Supplement, Financial Times), Sanjoy Roy (Guardian, editor of Springback Magazine), Laura Cappelle (New York Times) and Kelly Apter (Scotsman).

Arrival: 5 May 2026. Academy: 6–9 May 2026. Departure: 10 May 2026

Successful candidates will:

• Attend an online meeting in the month before the Academy to meet the Aerowaves team (date to be confirmed). 
• Attend an introductory lecture about dance writing given by Sanjoy Roy followed by an extended Q&A session.
• Attend a talk by Laura Cappelle about writing in English as your second language.
• Attend a talk about interview writing and techniques.
• Write short reviews in English (150 words) of several of the performances they see at Spring Forward. They will work to tight deadlines so that their reviews can be edited and published by the end of the festival.
• Conduct and write up an interview with an Aerowaves artist.
• Contribute one longer opinion piece for the Springback website in the week after the festival.
• Have the opportunity to meet informally with the 200 strong Spring Forward audience made up almost exclusively of dance professionals.

Once the Academy programme is completed, writers can contribute to Springback Magazine, participate in the annual Springback Assembly and other related activities.

Find out more about Springback Academy

• Watch a short video introducing Springback
• Read reviews, interviews and opinion pieces from previous years’ Springback Academy
• Download Springback’s quickstart guide to writing dance reviews

How to apply:

Fill in and send the online form by 24:00 (UTC) 30 November 2025

Our team of mentors will read all applications. Successful applicants will be notified by email at the latest by the morning of 12 January 2026.

If you have any questions, please email sbapplications@aerowaves.org

Good luck!