British Dance: Edition 2008 is a prestigious showcase, providing an opportunity for British dance companies and independent dance artists to present work in the best possible context. BDE is set to take place from 30th January ­- 2nd February 2008, and will form part of the launch of a year of celebrations supporting Liverpool as the European Capital of Culture for 2008. Selected shows will be open to the public.

Targeting the occasional and frequent dance programmer from UK and abroad, it presents work that is diverse and contemporary; profiling new and emerging work, alongside some of the more well known and established companies touring dance today. Click here for full details of the artistic policy.

All work presented at BDE 2008 will be available to tour during 2008 / 2009.

A welcome evening performance on 30th January will lead into a full three day festival programme. Events and performances will run from 11am to 11pm in a variety of venues as BDE takes over Liverpool city centre and beyond.

Industry delegates number 400 to 500 and are made up mainly of arts promoters, programmers and venue operators.

In the past BDE has welcomed visitors from as far away as Russia, Taiwan and Mozambique with approximately 38% of attendees visiting from overseas. In 2006 attendees came from, Canada, Lithuania, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, China, Hungary, Thailand, Germany, Kenya, Sri Lanka and the USA.

BDE takes place biennially and is hosted in rotation by the National Dance Agencies. Previous editions have taken place in Newcastle, Birmingham, Cambridge and Leeds, since the event began in London in 1992 under the guise of The Place’s Spring Dance. It is now recognised as one of the most significant dates in the British dance calendar.