open call for modina dance & technology residencies (2025)

Share your work with audiences in Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia, through the MODINA network!

The project MODINA (Movement, Digital Intelligence and Interactive Audience) aims to expand the creative possibilities for contemporary dance performances, and augment the experience for the audience, using digital technology – with an emphasis on exploring artificial intelligence (AI) and audience interaction. MODINA is a 3-year Creative Europe cooperation project, co-financed by the European Union.

Within the intersection between contemporary dance and technology, increasing attention is being given to AI (computers as creative partners) and to audience interaction (a shift from passive spectators to active participants). This creates interesting challenges for dance artists and creative technologists: how to integrate computational systems and audience members in a performance as co-creators, in a way that enhances the artistic work?

In the scope of MODINA, we are opening a Call for Artist Residencies for multidisciplinary duos, encompassing competences in dance and in technology (particularly related to computational creativity and audience interaction), for example: a dancer/choreographer and a creative technologist. Following the successful first edition of the MODINA residencies, we are organizing 5 more residencies of 8 weeks, across 5 performance centers: CNDB (Romania), Kino Siska (Slovenia), STL (Estonia), tanzhaus nrw (Germany), and Trafo (Hungary). From these 5 residencies, 2 are ‘General’ and 3 are ‘Regional’ (more below under ‘General and Regional Tracks’). These residencies will receive the mentorship from academic partners, from 3 universities: Hochschule Düsseldorf, Tallinn University and University of Lisbon.

The five 8-week residencies will take place between January and May 2025.

STRUCTURE OF THE RESIDENCY

• Weeks 1-3 of the residency will be dedicated to artistic and technical research. They will mostly take place in the facilities of the host institution (but not necessarily in a studio setting). Week 1 of the residency can be remote (to be agreed). In week 2, the academic partner of the residency will run a workshop with the residents, with the objective of assisting in the design and development of technical solutions.
• In weeks 4-7, the residents will have access to a studio space, and will develop a performative work around the choreographic concept proposed. In the end of week 7, the residents will present their public showing (20-45 minutes), and also present their process in a public talk (after / before the showing, to be defined)
• In week 8, the residents will conduct wrap-up activities in the host institution, such as: organize documentation, including archival versions of the showing if possible; package technical outcomes of the project for dissemination; and adapt and prepare for future showing. If demonstrated that these activities can be done remotely, Week 8 of the residency can be remote (to be agreed).