Far From The Norm: NORMGROUND

In a new partnership announced on 3rd February 2025, Jerwood Foundation has awarded Far From The Norm Hip Hop Theatre Company a total grant of £20,000 over two years to contribute to NORMGROUND.  

NORMGROUND is a three-week dedicated artistic learning and development programme for performers from Hip-Hop and other intersecting style backgrounds. With an emphasis on process and letting go of outcomes, interrogating creative ideas and techniques, NORMGROUND invites artists to explore, delve into and embody the creative methodologies developed by Far From The Norm and Artistic Director Botis Seva. 

NORMGROUND was created in response to an absence of development opportunities for dancers from Street dance backgrounds, who wish to focus on pursuing a career in performance. Far From The Norm realised that their dance language needed its own space in the industry, without its form and messages being diluted as a result of trying to fit in the cracks between Contemporary and Hip-Hop brackets. They recognised there would be more creatives encountering that same barrier. 

“In 2023, we hosted the first edition of NORMGROUND and we were inundated with applications, it really underscored the need for this provision in the Hip Hop community. NORMGROUND will fill a proportion of the gap in skills development for artists in this field, contributing to a stronger performer community, supporting ongoing professional growth and facilitating artists to create their own toolkits.  

We are delighted Jerwood Foundation will be partnering with us to support two editions in London and Manchester. As a small Hip Hop organisation, this is huge for us, and with Jerwood Foundation's support we look forward to building a long- term development offering that nurtures and values both UK and international Hip Hop performers."