Organizer Information
DRIFT (Dance & Research in the Future Time) is a four-year European cooperation project (2026–2029) coordinated by the Théâtre de Liège in Belgium, together with nine partner organisations spanning Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Tunisia, and Ukraine, and three international associate partners in Japan, Brazil, and Mozambique. The programme is funded by Creative Europe, which covers 60% of the project, with the remaining 40% co-financed by the partner organisations through in-kind contributions such as hosting, technical resources, and staff time. Partner organisations include Théâtre de Liège (Belgium, project lead), Maison de la Danse (France), Onassis Stegi (Greece), Mercat de les Flors-Graner (Spain), and BIT Teatergarasjen (Norway), among others, with overall communication for the project led by the Maison de la Danse in Lyon, France. Over its four-year run, DRIFT supports 20 mid-career choreographers in total through funded research labs, residencies, international showcases, and potential co-production and touring opportunities. This open call concerns the current selection round of 10 artists for the research and development phase.
Title & Description
DRIFT Open Call — Mid-Career Choreographers Programme
DRIFT invites mid-career choreographers to apply for an international programme offering time, space, and support for artistic research, experimentation, and professional development. Each of the 10 DRIFT partners will select one artist based in their respective country, forming a cohort of 10 selected artists. The call is dedicated specifically to artistic research and development — applicants are not expected to present a finished project, but rather to invest in a genuine research process of questioning, experimenting, and building the foundations of a future creation within a supportive international framework. In a second phase, subject to a further selection process, 5 of the 10 selected artists will be invited to develop their work further with co-production support and touring opportunities across the DRIFT network; this current call covers only the research and development phase.
Categories
- Choreography
- Dance
- Residency
- Performance
Eligibility
- Professional choreographers with a demonstrated track record in contemporary dance or performance
- Mid-career artists — beyond the emerging stage at the national level, but not yet fully established internationally
- Artists whose practice would benefit from strengthening the research phase of their work
- Artists wishing to develop their presence and connections at a European level
- Artists with a solid interest in experimentation, transnational collaboration, and artistic research
- Good command of English (working language of the project)
- Applicants must be based, at the time of application, in one of the following countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Norway, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, or Portugal
- Applications must be submitted through the partner organisation representing the applicant's country of residence
- In Belgium, the call is specifically open to applicants residing in the French-speaking Community of Belgium (FWB)
- In Germany, the call is specifically open to applicants residing in the Berlin region
- Selected artists must confirm availability for all key project dates (see Key Dates)
Program Benefits & Awards
- Research funding of 20,000 euros for the research phase, covering an Onboarding Lab, two weeks of residency with the local DRIFT partner, and participation in the showcase at the Biennale de Lyon; this envelope includes artistic fees, travel and accommodation costs, and any optional collaborators involved by the applicant
- 3 Online Labs — collaborative online working sessions with the full artist cohort
- Showcase participation — presentation of work in progress at the Biennale de la danse (Lyon, France), September 2027
- Artistic and curatorial mentoring — individual support from DRIFT partner organisations
- Professional networking and international visibility through engagement with DRIFT's European and international partner ecosystem
- Potential second-phase opportunity (for 5 of the 10 selected artists, subject to further selection): co-production support and access to touring opportunities across the DRIFT network in Europe and beyond
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Artistic CV (PDF)
- Short description of artistic practice and research proposal (max. 2 pages, PDF), indicating whether the research project involves a working team of one or more collaborators alongside the applicant
- Portfolio and video links to 2–3 representative previous works, included directly in the application form
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 August 2026
- Selection Process: 1–30 September 2026
- Results Announced: 9 October 2026
- Kick-Off Meeting in Berlin: 30 November – 1 December 2026
- Onboarding Lab, Local Residencies, and Online Labs: 1 November 2026 – 17 September 2027
- Festival Lab in Tunis: 18–21 March 2027
- Showcase at the Biennale de la Danse, Lyon: 18–25 September 2027
Location
Multi-country programme based across the 10 DRIFT partner countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Norway, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Portugal), combining local residencies, online sessions, and in-person gatherings in Berlin, Tunis, and Lyon. Onsite/hybrid format.
Additional Details
- Selection is carried out independently by each DRIFT partner, based on artistic quality, relevance of the research proposal, professional experience, motivation, potential for international development, and confirmed availability for all key project moments
- Particular attention will be paid to diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations, with applications reviewed in accordance with principles of equal opportunity and non-discrimination