We are a Denver-based performance company and artist services organization.
Founded in 2008 by artistic director Patrick Mueller, Control Group has built a reputation for relentless innovation and community development. Grounded in contemporary dance and embracing an approach that encompasses artistic innovation across forms and professional fields, from theatre and music to visual art and film. In recent years the company has been the vanguard of the emerging immersive/experiential performance movement in Denver.
Over our first five years, we founded and operated two performance venues – The Packing House Center for the Arts (2008-10) and work|space Denver (2011-15) – where we made new works, presented events by dozens of local and touring artists, hosted artists in residence, and provided an array of services and opportunities to the local professional community.
Our early company works dismantled traditional theater experiences, using our home venues as unique architectural and social sites that we engaged and transformed differently for each work. Working from a dance-theatre platform, we explored innovative formats for non-proscenium and installation-style works, as well as pop-up events at festivals and in public spaces. Our Artist Services Program focused on professional development, artist residencies, co-productions, and curation of national and international touring works.
In 2013, we began pursuing projects primarily outside of theater venues – site-specific creations in public spaces, audience-mobile bus and walking tours, and found spaces in homes, businesses, and unoccupied buildings. Our approaches began reaching further into audience-interactive tactics and formats.
We've created site-driven works locally in Denver, Aurora, Commerce City, Broomfield, and Boulder, as well as commissioned works for Open Dance Project in Houston, TX, and Dance Initiative in Carbondale, CO.
We reconstituted our Artist Services Program within this model as well, hosting artist residencies and performance showcases at our 2013-17 residency space Colorado Conservatory of Dance, and offering professional classes at various metro area locations.
In 2017 we began the Guest Artist Presenting (GAP) Initiative, which brings our full producing resources to bear on 1-2 major productions each year, supporting local emerging artists in pivotal career growth moments. In 2018 we unveiled our MAPS Trailer – Making Anywhere a Performance Space. In 2019 we took up residency at Café Mül-Whit – the home studio of artistic director Patrick Mueller and Kristine Whittle – where we offer company and Artist Services programming.
Control Group is a Tier III member of the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District. Our work is supported by the National Endowment of the Arts, Lyrasis/Mellon Foundation, Colorado Creative Industries, Colorado Humanities, Denver Arts & Venues, City of Boulder, the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, the Denver Foundation, Broomfield Community Foundation, Community First Foundation, multiple family foundations, and many individual donors.
Our works have been presented or co-commissioned by the Aurora Fox Arts Center, The Biennial of the Americas, Denver Theatre District, the Denver Arts & Venues, BINDERY|space, RedLine Gallery, Naropa University, Dance Initiative Carbondale, American Dance Festival’s MFA program, and others.
