From May 2025-July 2026, Chisenhale Dance Space, together with its Artist Community, is running Scratch Renaissance, a programme reinjecting scratch culture back into the UK dance and performance sectors. To document and help amplify the programme, we launched an interview series with CDS that spotlights the six partners presenting and curating scratch nights as part of Scratch Renaissance.
This month we hear from Elevate East (an artistic development collective thriving on play, failure and the creation’s messy in-between stage) which presents Devils Advocate as part of Scratch Renaissance.
A radical take on what scratch nights can be, Devils Advocate invites performers to show two contrasting versions of their work live onstage. Risky, daring and dual, Devils Advocate will be a night where artists can test the boundaries of their work.
Taking place on Friday 26 September, we caught up with Elevate East‘s Jack Edwards to discover more…
What do you think makes a great scratch night experience for both artists and audiences?
A great scratch night experience thrives on openness from both artists and audiences. For the audience, it’s about arriving with curiosity and generosity, ready to encounter work they may not have seen before, and to embrace the raw, messy, unfiltered stages of something still finding its form. For the artist, it’s about leaning into the unexpected; welcoming happy accidents, slowing down to feel the work in the moment, and allowing discoveries to emerge live in the space. At its best, a scratch night is a dialogue: artists offering vulnerability and exploration, audiences responding with honest, supportive feedback. Together, that exchange creates an environment where new ideas can be tested, questioned, and championed.
What excites you most about experimenting with new ideas in a scratch setting?
What excites me most about experimenting with new ideas in a scratch setting is the freedom it gives me/ us as artists to explore without constraints. I enjoy the chance to test raw concepts, take risks, and learn quickly from what works and what doesn’t. Even if an idea doesn’t fully succeed, it often sparks unexpected insights or new directions that can be even more valuable. For me, scratch is energising because it’s a space where creativity and curiosity can thrive without fear of failure, and that often leads to the most innovative outcomes.
Devils Advocate takes place on Friday 26 September at 7pm at Chisenhale Dance Space. Get your tickets here.