Lighting Design for Dance 2027: Open Call for Early-Career Choreographers

If you're an emerging choreographer with a piece in development, here's a chance to see it in a whole new light. The Lir Academy and Dance Ireland are looking for four early-career choreographers to join their Lighting Design for Dance project, where each choreographer is paired with a lighting design MFA student from The Lir, National Academy of Dramatic Art at Trinity College Dublin.

Lighting designer Sinéad Wallace, MFA Lighting Tutor at The Lir, mentors the project from the first meeting to the final showing, when you present your work in progress to an invited audience. Each choreographer receives a €600 stipend.

Applications close on Friday 20 November 2026. To apply, upload an application letter through the online form linked from The Lir's call-out page.

Emerging choreographers with a piece of work in development who want to grow their understanding of lighting design and would enjoy working closely with a student lighting designer. Resources are limited, so the project suits solo or duet work best.

• Free rehearsal space at DanceHouse or The Lir Academy
• Mentoring from a professional lighting designer throughout
• Weekly exploratory workshops in Studio 1 at The Lir Academy
• Technical support and expertise from start to finish
• A showing of your work in progress to an invited audience
• Professional photographs and video of the final showing for your own use
• A €600 stipend

• Initial meeting: Friday 4 December 2026, 10.30am, The Lir Academy
• Weekly workshops: 8, 15 and 22 January 2027
• Technical rehearsals: Wednesday 27 January to Tuesday 2 February 2027, The Lir Academy
• Showing: Wednesday 3 February 2027