06/08/2026
"I'm really encouraged to see initiatives like the Sky Foundation Dance Bursary, funded by The Julia Rausing Trust, investing in the next generation of dance artists.
Too often, support for artists is viewed as an investment in culture alone. In reality, it's an investment in innovation.
At Innovation Lab Day 3: Human AI – Artistic Intelligence, one of the most important conversations we had was about recognising the unique value artists bring. Not only through performance, but through imagination, critical thinking, collaboration and the ability to navigate complex interdisciplinary challenges.
As dance increasingly intersects with AI, immersive technologies, research, education and healthcare, artists are no longer working at the edges of innovation, they are helping to shape it.
Supporting artists isn't simply about funding creative careers. It's about investing in the creative intelligence that fuels new ideas, challenges assumptions and helps society respond to increasingly complex problems.
Programmes like the Sky Foundation Dance Bursary create opportunities for emerging artists to develop their practice at a time when our sector needs fresh voices, bold perspectives and new ways of working.
Congratulations to Sky Foundation on launching this initiative. I hope it's one of many investments that recognise artists not just as cultural contributors, but as essential partners in shaping the future."
- Joumana Mourad, Artistic Director & Curator, IJAD Dance
Applications are now open and close on 9 September 2026. For more information and to apply, visit https://juliarausingskyartsbursaries.com
