Big Pulse Dance Alliance (BPDA) are delighted to launch a new series of co-commissions for free, outdoor dance performances for the people of Europe. Our aim is to bring artists and audiences together. To present bold, captivating choreography that celebrates our creative imaginations through the power of the body in motion. We are inviting Expressions of Interest from artists interested in developing portable, ecologically aware choreographic ideas with the 12 pan-European BPDA partners.


ABOUT BPDA

Big Pulse Dance Alliance (BPDA) is a 4-year partnership (2021-2024) of 12 European dance festivals and institutions united by their passion to promote, strengthen and broaden the reach of the contemporary dance sector. With the support of EU Creative Europe co-funding, BPDA aims to diversify dance programming on stages and in public outdoor spaces; support artist development through mentorship, travel and workshop programmes; and invite new audiences to engage with the artform through dynamic live or digital performances and other participatory activities. The project’s long-term vision is to establish a lively network of European dance festivals who work collaboratively and sustainably to further the life-changing impact of dance.

The Big Pulse Dance Alliance partners are: Tanz im August/HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Germany) • Dance Umbrella (UK) • Dublin Dance Festival (Ireland) • Julidans (Netherlands) • New Baltic Dance (Lithuania) • ONE Dance Week (Bulgaria) • Torinodanza Festival (Italy) • Zodiak – Center for New Dance (Finland) • Sismògraf Dance Festival (Spain) • International Dance Festival TANEC PRAHA (Czech Republic) • CODA Oslo International Dance Festival (Norway) • Danscentrum Sverige (Sweden)


WHAT

The co-commissions are aimed at a small creative team of up to six people touring to create / re-create performances with local participants in a series of public spaces, supported by the BPDA partners.
The local participants involved in each location can be professionals, non-professionals or a mixture of both.
The goal is to help artists create vital, memorable and relevant choreography that is ecologically and technically light on its feet, where the concept of the work can be reconstructed with articulacy and impact in each place. 


WHO

The co-commissions are aimed at artists who:

  • use choreographic ideas as their main form of expression;
  • are interested in and excited by creating work for public spaces;
  • enjoy working collaboratively with producers and festivals in different countries;
  • are willing to dive into shared learning and exchange of practices (e.g. residency opportunities available to commissioned artists + partners 2021 – 2024).

Big Pulse Dance Alliance is committed to equality of opportunity and supporting diversity and inclusion across all aspects of our work.


ASSESSMENT

All artists / artistic teams should:

  • propose a project that is as sustainable as it can be in terms of technical requirements, impact on the space, travels of the artistic team, etc.
  • propose a project that has a maximum of 6 people in the artistic team touring to create / re-create the work in each location;
  • include a member who is experienced at delivering large-scale, public performance
  • have the majority of the creative team living and working in the EU;
  • nominate a lead person to be contracted.

SELECTION

  • Up to 6 artists / artistic teams will be shortlisted and awarded €1500 to develop their proposal;
  • A minimum of 2 artists /artistic teams will then be co-commissioned by a selected number of festival partners
  • It is anticipated that other funding support may need to be sought from national or international sources for these commissions.
  • Commissioned artists have the potential to receive additional support alongside the commission funds through research opportunities, production time and guaranteed tour dates for their work from BPDA partners.

HOW TO APPLY

Download the Expression of Interest form down below which invites you to share:

  • Your creative concept (maximum 2 pages of A4) in English An estimated level of production budget (creation) in Euros
  • Estimated technical needs and space requirements (performance);
  • Details of the creative team and biographies (maximum 2 pages of A4);
  • Email all to bigpulse@tanzimaugust.de by Friday 16 April.

Interviews for shortlisted artists / artistic teams are provisionally scheduled for 11 & 12 May 2021.



DOCUMENTS:

Open Air Commissions Open Call pdf with full details.

The Expression of Interest Form

 


Cover: Loin by La Débordante Cie at Sismògraf Dance Festival 2019 © Martí Albesa

BPDA is co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.


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