Dance Incubator — Impulse Theatre

Applications for 2026 Dance Incubator now open

An incubator for dancers to explore new work and ideas with support from a mentor.

Applications Due: August 31

The Program

We have 1 spot available as part of the 2026 Dance Incubator program. The mentorship is for contemporary dance artists, collectives, and/or companies with a specific project (administrative and/or artistic) in mind.

Artistic Producer, Andrew Barrett, returns as mentor. Andrew is an accomplished producer, creator, dance artist, and administrator. His artistic work straddles different ecologies and disciplines, and is informed by his queer sensibilities and commitment to accessible creation practices.

Previous projects in this program have included: the beginning of new work, building a sustainable artistic practice, approaches to research and creation, running a technical rehearsal, and more.

Artists will be provided one-on-one mentorship, honorarium, studio time, and access to Peek Fest workshops.

The program is only open to in-person artists based on Southern Vancouver Island.

Adjudication is based heavily on synergy with mentor, and how the mentorship will support the applicant's ongoing process. Projects will be selected by Peek Fest staff and the Mentor.

The Mentor

Andrew Barrett is a queer multidisciplinary performing artist based on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen Peoples/Victoria, BC. He is a creator, choreographer, performer, curator, emerging arts leader, administrator, and founding Artistic Producer of Impulse Theatre.

He received his BFA in Theatre from the University of Victoria (UVIC) and studied Arts and Cultural Management at MacEwan University. He trained in Contemporary Dance through the Victoria School of Contemporary Dance from 2010 to 2020. He attended One Yellow Rabbit’s Summer Lab Intensive in 2016. He was a 2020/21 and 2024/25 Artist in Residence at Dance Victoria, and participated in artist residences at Joya Arte + Ecologia (Spain 2024) and Saikoneon (Japan 2026).

He has worked as a producer, choreographer, operations manager, and a variety of other roles with such companies as the Intrepid Theatre, SNAFU, Theatre SKAM, Atomic Vaudeville and Puente Theatre, since 2012. Andrew was awarded the 2022 City of Victoria Creative Builder Award for his work in supporting new performance and arts workers within the region.

Photo Credit: Angus Gaffney

The Format | Schedule

The mentorship will include one-on-one sessions/meetings, plus optional studio time. The nature and scope of the mentorship is open to be negotiated/navigated by the artist(s) and program mentor.

For projects centring around an artistic project, studio time will be available between November 2 and 22, 2026. This program has provided participants public work/idea-in-progress showcase opportunities in the past, but it is not required.

The participants can expect approximately 10 hours of shared time with Andrew throughout the duration of the program.

Festival Artist Sharing - Saturday, November 22

Dance Incubator participants are required to attend a meal and sharing with other festival participants on Saturday, November 22. A low-stakes way to share yourself with the local community.

Impulse Provides:

10 hours of mentorship with Andrew Barrett from mid-September through November
$750 honorarium
Access to all specialized Peek Fest workshops
[if applicable] Up-to 25 hours of space if focusing on artistic work during the festival

Important Dates: