BlakDance

What BlakDance does

BlakDance is a national industry organisation for First Nations contemporary dancers and choreographers in Australia, founded in 2005 as a direct outcome of the National Indigenous Dance Forum and headquartered on Turrbal and Yuggera Country in Meanjin (Brisbane) at the Judith Wright Arts Centre. The organisation provides end-to-end producing, commissioning, touring, creative development, and capacity-building services to professional First Nations contemporary dance choreographers, artists and emerging companies, alongside advocacy and sector convening functions. It is self-determined and community-controlled, governed by a voluntary Board of Directors and a dedicated Cultural Council, with a workforce that is 90% First Nations and a stated trajectory toward 100% First Peoples employment under the First Nations Performing Arts Workforce Development Framework 2025–2030.

BlakDance's underlying operating model is service-based rather than technology-based: there is no proprietary software platform or technology product described. Its core "products" are produced and toured works (such as GUURANDA, The Other Side of Me, Garabari, SILENCE, MONOLITH, Preparing Ground and SMOKE), residencies and fellowships (LGI First Nations Residency, PLATFORM with Abbotsford Convent, First Collective Residencies with ADC, First Nations Fellowships with STRUT Dance), and free professional development programs (the First Nations Creative Pathways Program). Distribution is via direct relationships with national venues (Sydney Opera House, QPAC, Brisbane Festival, Darwin Festival, Adelaide Festival) and international presenting partners (Dance North Scotland, RISE Festival, KM Music Conservatory, Northumbria University).

Revenue is derived from multi-jurisdictional Australian government grants (Creative Australia, Creative Victoria, Create NSW, Arts Queensland, Arts NT and federal programs including the RISE Fund and Indigenous Languages and Arts), supplemented by producing and tour coordination fees from co-productions with venues and festivals. Pricing for services is not publicly disclosed and capacity-building programs are offered free to participants. The organisation is currently undertaking a strategic and operational review following a 2026 leadership transition.

Name

BlakDance

Legal name

BlakDance Australia Ltd

Website

https://blakdance.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BlakDance is Australia's national industry organisation for First Nations contemporary dance, providing producing, commissioning, touring, and capacity-building services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander choreographers and artists across Australia and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Production Services

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

akta.pro primary industry

Dance Festivals & Dance Series (MPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dancers, Choreographers & Dance Troupes Booking (HSACAHAD), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH)

Keywords

• First Nations dance
• Contemporary dance producing
• Arts sector development
• Cultural exchange touring
• Workforce development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Brisbane

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: BlakDance receives funding from Australian Government through Creative Australia, state governments through Creative Victoria, NSW Government through Create NSW, Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, Northern Territory Government through Arts NT, and other federal/state programs including RISE Fund and Indigenous Languages and Arts program.
2. Producing and Tour Coordination Services: BlakDance provides producing support for First Nations contemporary dance productions, including national and international touring coordination, which may include co-production arrangements with venues and festivals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BlakDance is a national industry organisation that provides producing, commissioning, touring coordination, and capacity building support for First Nations contemporary dance choreographers, artists, and emerging companies. It delivers creative development programs, residencies, fellowships, and workforce development initiatives while coordinating national and international touring of First Nations contemporary dance works.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GUURANDA X RISE Narungga-led contemporary multidisciplinary performance work presented at RISE Festival 2026 in Findhorn, Scotland, transforming touring into cultural exchange.
• SMOKE First Nations intercultural dance theatre work in development, responding to themes of survival, fire, the body, home and ceremony.
• Preparing Ground A powerful new work exploring First Nations storytelling sovereignty through collaboration with communities on performers' Countries, premiered at Brisbane Festival and QPAC.
• MONOLITH A significant new dance work by Joel Bray that transforms colonised bodies into sites of silent protest, premiered at Arts House and RISING festival.
• Garabari National Tour A contemporary civic ceremony by Joel Bray Dance celebrating Wiradjuri sovereignty and cultural continuity, taking its name from the Wiradjuri word for corroboree.
• SILENCE National Tour Touring work by Karul Projects delivering an urgent call for TREATY and highlighting stories and struggles of Blak communities since colonisation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% First Nations workforce currently achieved with trajectory to 100%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dance North ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026International presenting partnership for RISE Festival 2026 in Findhorn, Scotland. Dance North Scotland presents GUURANDA X RISE and The Other Side of Me as part of this major international gathering of global Indigenous creativity.
• KM Music Conservatory (AR Rahman)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Major collaboration with AR Rahman's KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, India for GUURANDA X KMMC. Students participated in online cultural immersion sessions and adapted original score into new live choral compositions, forming basis of future international touring model.
• Northumbria University (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026International cross-cultural collaboration on The Other Side of Me with co-creator Dr Laura Fish (dec.) and Liz Pavey. The work was developed over six years across Australia and the UK with Northumbria University partnership for research and development.
• RISE FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International festival partnership bringing together Indigenous artists from Turtle Island, Aotearoa New Zealand, Colombia and Australia through performance, ceremony, workshops and dialogue grounded in sovereignty, ecological care and cultural exchange.
• CarriageworkscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Carriageworks joined the LGI First Nations Residency partnership in 2022, strengthening the national reach of the program. The residency connects artists with creative communities across multiple states, including Sydney location.
• Lucy Guerin Inc (LGI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership for LGI First Nations Residency providing nationally connected creative development platform for First Nations contemporary dance artists. LGI provides dedicated studio time at WXYZ Studios in North Melbourne, with the residency model embedded in ongoing organisational practice following LGI's participation in BlakDance's Cultural Competency Self-Assessment Audit.
• Tri-Nations NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork gathering First Nations artists, companies, presenters, directors and producers to develop and maintain cohesive discussion regarding self-determined platforms, collaborations, co-presentations and productions across Canada, New Zealand and Australia.
• NAISDA Dance CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational First Nations training organisation. BlakDance supports pathways for NAISDA graduates and collaborates on workforce development initiatives. Blake Escott is an Advanced Diploma student at NAISDA performing with Gary Lang NT Dance Company as part of industry placement.
• Chunky MovecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Garabari by Joel Bray Dance with support from Chunky Move. Also commissioned MONOLITH through PLATFORM initiative. Deep collaboration on co-commissioning and co-producing new works.
• Arts Northern RiverscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced SMOKE in collaboration with Arts Northern Rivers. Co-commissioned SMOKE as First Nations intercultural dance theatre work responding to themes of survival, fire, the body, home and ceremony.
• Bangarra Dance TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organisation in Blak Futures Collective and First Nations Performing Arts Companies Network (FNPAC) submissions to National Cultural Policy. Self-determined First Nations organisation collaborating on sector advocacy.
• ILBIJERRI Theatre CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on submissions and enquiries including First Nations Performing Arts Organisations feedback to Pre-Budget Submission and COVID-19 Inquiry. Key partner in First Nations performing arts advocacy.
• Yirra Yaakin Theatre CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organisation in Blak Futures Collective and FNPAC. Collaborating on National Cultural Policy submissions and First Nations performing arts advocacy.
• Moogahlin Performing ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating organisation in Blak Futures Collective and FNPAC submissions. Collaborating on national cultural policy advocacy and sector development.
• MarrugekucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous intercultural practice organisation participating in Blak Futures Collective and FNPAC National Cultural Policy submissions. Collaborates on Indigenous intercultural practice frameworks.
• Network of National Dance Organisations (NoNDO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated and aligned with priorities from the First Nations Dance submission as part of National Cultural Policy consultation process.
• Australian Live Performance Export AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncorporating First Nations systems framing around Indigenous diplomacy, reciprocal exchange, market development and Tri-Nations implementation as part of export strategy.
• Abbotsford ConventcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLATFORM initiative - First Nations-led creative development program for multi-generational choreographers and contemporary dance artists, co-created by Abbotsford Convent and BlakDance. Co-commissioned MONOLITH through this program.
• Australasian Dance Collective (ADC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Collective Residencies partnership for established and emerging First Nations choreographers and dancers over two years, supporting career development and creative development.
• STRUT DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Nations Fellowships partnership supporting two First Nations dance artists to join cast of Manifest by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for Perth Moves at Perth Festival 2025.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Creative Australia: Australian Government's principal arts investment and advisory body (formerly Australia Council). Comparable as the overarching funding ecosystem in which BlakDance operates, and one of its largest grant sources.

Direct peers

• Ausdance: Australia's national peak body for dance, providing advocacy, sector development and policy input across all dance forms. Most structurally comparable peer to BlakDance's role as a national industry organisation, although Ausdance covers all dance genres rather than specialising in First Nations work.
• Bangarra Dance Theatre: Australia's leading First Nations contemporary dance company, producing and touring major works nationally and internationally. A core sector peer within the Blak Futures Collective and FNPAC, addressing overlapping First Nations dance audiences and venues.
• ILBIJERRI Theatre Company: Australia's leading First Nations theatre company and a fellow FNPAC and Blak Futures Collective member. Collaborates with BlakDance on policy submissions and sector advocacy, addressing the adjacent performing-arts discipline of First Nations theatre.
• Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company: Western Australian First Nations theatre company participating in Blak Futures Collective and FNPAC submissions. A direct sector peer working with First Nations performers and audiences alongside BlakDance's dance remit.
• NAISDA Dance College: National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association, the principal training pathway for First Nations dancers and a core collaborator on BlakDance's Workforce Development Framework. Directly comparable as an Indigenous dance sector institution.
• Moogahlin Performing Arts: Sydney-based First Nations performing arts company active in Blak Futures Collective and FNPAC advocacy. Comparable as a producing organisation supporting First Nations artists across multiple performance forms.
• Marrugeku: Indigenous intercultural dance and performance company based in Broome and Perth. Participates in Blak Futures Collective and FNPAC, sharing BlakDance's First Nations dance focus with an intercultural production practice.

Emerging players

• Chunky Move: Leading Australian contemporary dance company that co-commissioned works including Garabari and MONOLITH with BlakDance. Comparable as a contemporary dance commissioning body with overlapping artist pipelines.
• Lucy Guerin Inc: Melbourne-based contemporary dance company that co-founded the LGI First Nations Residency with BlakDance. Comparable as a contemporary dance producing organisation collaborating on First Nations commissioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/blakdance
• Xx.com/BlakDance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BlakDance