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Institute of Curiosity · Powered by Darkroom Contemporary

An engine for innovative art form development, animated by dance.

A space for movement practice, engagement, creation and discovery. 186 Bree Street, Cape Town.
01

What the Institute Is

"An evolving laboratory committed to experimentation, community engagement, and the co-creation of bold new futures through embodied research and digital integration."

The Institute of Curiosity is the home of Darkroom Contemporary. Conceived as a space for artistic creation, learning and exchange, it brings together the company's performance, digital and development programmes under one roof - connecting artists, audiences and communities through contemporary culture.

The Institute of Curiosity is Darkroom Contemporary's space for movement practice, engagement, creation and discovery. It is the open side of the company's artistic life - the studio door left ajar for the curious.What begins in Darkroom Contemporary’s studio is shared through the Institute: movement training classes, artist laboratories, public conversations, open studio showings and opportunities for exchange between artists, emerging practitioners and audiences. 

Operating from Darkroom Contemporary's home on Bree Street in Cape Town, its programmes create space to explore, question, experiment and discover.

Curiosity

keeps us growing.

It is our rebellion against complacency.
It dares us to evolve. To question. To explore.
It removes fear from the unknown.
In art, science and everyday life, curiosity fuels creativity, deepens understanding, and opens doors we didn’t know existed.
It is how we stay agile in a rapidly shifting world.
It is how we build what hasn’t yet been imagined.
To help shape the futures we have yet to imagine.
The Institute of Curiosity exists to transform curiosity into action, and the unknown into possibility.
02

The programmes

26/27 calendar
01
Free

Studio Sessions

Contemporary Dance training classes offered free of charge for the professional freelance dance community.
02
Ticketed

Studio Practice

Morning and evening movement classes for youth and adults of all experience levels, taught within a professional artistic environment. Combining technical training and creative exploration, classes are held at our Bree Street studio. Discounted rates are available for dance professionals and students.
03
Ticketed

Deep Space Discourse

A conversation platform for exploring the questions that shape how we create, lead and imagine the future. Bringing together artists, thinkers and cultural practitioners, the series examines arts innovation, sector development, creative sustainability and the evolving role of the arts in society.
04
By application

Screen Dance Lab

A hands-on screendance laboratory where emerging artists experiment with movement, film and digital storytelling. Participants develop original screen-based works while gaining practical experience in the creative and technical processes of dance filmmaking.
05
Residency

Physical Thinking Lab

An intensive residency programme for artists interested in using physical practice as a catalyst for creativity. Through movement exploration, interdisciplinary exchange and embodied research, participants investigate new approaches to making, thinking and creating.
06
Workshop

Arts Entrepreneurship

A practical workshop series exploring the realities of building a life in the arts. Designed for emerging practitioners, the programme covers professional readiness, contracts, financial literacy, digital presence, audience development and the skills required to sustain a contemporary creative practice.
07
Ticketed

Unfinished

Informal public showings of works in progress - performances that are still becoming. UNFINISHED gives emerging artists a professional platform to test ideas, share processes and gather feedback from audiences before a work reaches its final form.
08
Phase 2 | Ticketed

TRACE Dance Film Festival

TRACE Dance Film Festival is a new platform for screendance and dance film, presented by Darkroom Contemporary in partnership with POOL – Movement Art Film Festival Berlin. Showcasing innovative movement-based works from South Africa and around the world, the festival celebrates the screen as a space for choreographic exploration, artistic exchange and audience discovery. Full programme forthcoming. November 2026.
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Studio Practice — book a class

Movement classes for youth and adults.

Train alongside working artists.

Studio Practice is the Institute of Curiosity's curated programme of movement classes and embodied practices, offering morning and evening sessions led by Darkroom Contemporary's resident artists and invited facilitators at the Bree Street studio. Whether you're stepping into a studio for the first time or maintaining a professional practice, there is a class for you.

Sessions range from beginner-friendly offerings to advanced training for experienced dancers.

Classes run weekly, with drop-ins welcome.

Discounted rates are available for dance professionals and students.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE — BREE STREET STUDIO

MON

07:30

Technique & Floorwork
WED

07:30

Contemporary Improvisation
WED

18:30

Body Conditioning
FRI

07:30

Technique & Floorwork
SAT

09:00

Open Floor

Pricing

PRICING
All classes at the Bree Street studio. Yoco accepted.

Drop-in class

R180

Class pack (5)

R800

Class pack (10)

R1,400

Professional rate

per class with valid portfolio link
R150

Student rate

per class with valid student card
R120
Book a class
Cancellations accepted up to 24 hours before class. No refunds after that time — class credit issued instead.
Professional & student discount
Upload a portfolio, CV, or valid student card to receive your discount code. Used at checkout for the professional or student rate on any class or pack.
    A studio, a company, and a laboratory. Under one roof. Home of the Institute of Curiosity.
    Studio 186 · Bree Street, Cape Town

    Robyn Pretorius: robyn@darkroomcontemporary.com

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    © 2026 Darkroom Contemporary. 089 - 552 NPO