About Us
At ReadyMade Works we are committed to supporting the vitality of independent dance practice taking place in Sydney, ultimately changing the way dance is valued, engaged with, and practiced more broadly in our culture.
We value the groundbreaking work and creative thinking of the independent artist. Through programs and space hire in our Ultimo studio we provide a physical centre for artists to gather, practice, collaborate, and contribute to the community.
We do a lot with a little. We are a not-for-profit organisation run by a dedicated staff & board, with generous support from City of Sydney and Create NSW.
History
ReadyMade Works was founded by Samantha Chester in 2013, after a decade’s experience activating spaces for artists in Sydney, notably Queen St Studio (2005-09) and Fraser Studios (2008-12). ReadyMade was born out of Sam’s passion for the dance sector, and her awareness that the specialist space needed by dance was in short supply.
Since 2013, we have become a key resource for independent dancers and choreographers, with much of the dance presented in NSW seeded or supported with time in our studio.
Our program has grown to encompass weekly classes and workshop intensives that address the ongoing training and collaboration dance makers need. We offer paid and space residencies to support the development of new work, as well as highly subsidised space hire. We hold talks and showings of works-in-progress to develop a conversation around the art (and work) of making. And we invite the wider community into the studio through our much-loved ongoing presentation program Happy Hour, a unique lo-fi evening of short-works.