Dance Consortium appoints Megan Saunders as its Audiences and Engagement Manager

Dance Consortium, the membership organisation of 19 large-scale theatres with a mission is to bring the best international contemporary dance to audiences throughout the UK and Ireland, has appointed Megan Saunders in the new role of Audiences and Engagement Manager. Megan takes up the position on 6 January 2025.

Megan joins Dance Consortium from the Jasmin Vardimon Company where she has overseen the company’s Creative Learning Programme since 2019. Before that she progressed from performer to participation producer to general manager for Maresa von Stockert’s Tilted Productions. Megan studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance where she achieved her MA degree performing and touring with Transitions Dance Company. She taught regularly for Trinity Laban and Richard Alston Dance Company alongside her own performance career. Her choreographic credits include two series of dance films for BBC Learning.

The Audiences and Engagement Manager is a key role that will lead on the strategic delivery of Dance Consortium’s Audience Development and Engagement Strategy. Megan will be leading on the delivery of all aspects of the creative learning and engagement programmes, including special extended engagement projects, as well as supporting the audience development and marketing activities for all of Dance Consortium’s international tours.

This role is one of a number of permanent positions introduced to Dance Consortium since Joe Bates joined as Chief Executive in 2022.  

Joe Bates says: “We are thrilled that Megan is joining Dance Consortium. Her background as creative learning specialist and before that a dancer brings a huge amount of expertise to the team. This increased capacity will enable to the organisation to develop more strategic engagement and audience development projects. This newly established role is key to how Dance Consortium supports the international artists and companies we tour. It will also provide the Dance Consortium member venues with increased knowledge and capacity as they continue to develop new audiences for dance.”

Megan Saunders says: “I am very much looking forward to working with Dance Consortium and the fantastic international companies it brings to the UK. I am excited to build on my experience and knowledge towards deepening the possibilities of engagement in collaboration with venues, communities and international companies. I believe passionately in the benefits of networks and collaborative approaches and think that through partnership working we can not only maximise opportunity but also create more inclusive and equitable methodologies. I am excited by the possibility of a new challenge and the opportunity to contribute to strengthening the dance, theatre and touring ecologies.”

Dance Consortium’s next tour is Dragons by South Korean choreographer Eun-Me Ahn. The 8-venue tour opens at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton on 24 & 25 February https://danceconsortium.com/touring/eun-me-ahn-dance-company-2025/