Keðja Stretch Lab 2023 - Open Call for artists
Keðja presents – What’s the Story
Vitlycke, Sweden 2023
27 Aug - 3 Sept
Kedja returns with the second year of Stretch, a creative lab for dance artists.
Following on from the success of Stretch Lab in 2022, hosted by The Work Room, the next lab will take place in Sweden hosted by Region Västra Götaland (on behalf of the network Keðja) and bring together dance artists from Norway, Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, Scotland and Sweden.
You can find out more about Stretch Lab 2022 here.
What´s the story?
What's the story? is a creative lab inviting dance artists to explore dance and heritage. The lab will be held at Vitlycke Centre for Performing Arts and Vitlycke Museum in the west of Sweden.
The lab will be a space for artists to exchange experiences, ideas and to develop their own artistic practises through talks, discussions, seminars and workshops.
Vitlycke is a site of bronze age rock carvings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With the world heritage as a back drop the lab invites dance artists to consider their own artistic practises through a lens of heritage, history, tradition, education, choices, happenstance and circumstance.
The artists will spend four days together before they are joined by the partners in the Kedja network for further three days of the lab.
Who is the lab for?
This opportunity is only open to TWR members, click here for more information on how to become a member.
There will be 10 artists involved in the lab, chosen through different processes in the different Keðja partner countries.
The lab is targeted at professional dance artists with a established artistic practise and an interest in exploring their practise in collaboration with peers in an international context. Participants need to be able to commit fully to the lab dates. There will also be two group sessions ahead of the lab that will be held digitally and all artists will be expected to contribute to evaluation afterwards. We particularly recognise the rich potential for exchange between dance artists from different practices, perspectives and experiences and encourage members working across an expansive range of styles, techniques, practices and approach to apply.
All artists will receive a bursery of £800 to participate in the lab. Return travel to Vitlycke, Sweden will be covered and all meals provided for the duration of the lab.
Application & Selection process:
Applications can be made in writing in response to the questions below or by audio/video submission.
- Written applications should be submitted using no more than 2 pages of A4
- We suggest a guideline of around 500 words or 3 minutes for each question
- Audio/video applications should try to be no longer than 10 minutes in total
Your application should include responses to the following:
1. Information on you and your practice: This should be a short artist statement that tells us about your dance practice along with examples of work and projects. You can include one link to a website or video.
2. Why you are interested in participating in the STRE-TCH lab? Please tell us about areas of your practice you are interested in developing, your experience or interest in peer exchange and what new influences are you hoping to connect with?
3. The questions or enquiries you would like to bring to the lab?
Please also include information on any access requirements you may have to support you to participate in the lab and also
One Work Room member will be selected to participate in the Stretch Vitlycke Lab. Applications will be considered by a panel involving Work Room members who participated in previous Keðja events, along with a representatives from the host organisation, Region Västra Götaland.
Applications should be submitted by email to applications@theworkroom.org.uk by midnight on Monday 3rd April 2023.
All applicants will be notified of the decisions by the end of April.
If you would like some support in preparing or submitting an application, or to discuss the suitability of your proposal before applying, please contact us at hello@theworkroom.org.uk or by calling the office on 0141 423 3864.
About Keðja
Keðja is an international network of dance organisations. Together we aim to create open meeting places for those working in dance. Keðja facilitates events that gather individuals from dance communities to meet, share and learn together. Keðja wants to empower dance professionals to connect and collaborate across borders.
The Keðja partners are:
· Contemporary Dance Association (LT)
· Dansverkstædid (IS)
· Davvi – Centre for Performing Arts (NO)
· Estonian Dance Art and Dance Education Union (EE)
· Förvaltningen för Kulturutveckling (SE)
· Latvian Dance Information Centre (LV)
· PTL Dance Theater Ljubljana (SI)
· Regional Dance Centre of Western Finland (FI)
· The Work Room (SC)
The lab will be facilitated by Benedikte Esperi.
Benedikte Esperi is a performance artist, choreographer, film maker, researcher, producer and curator based in Sweden. She is published in a variety of venues, such as public sites, galleries, theatres, festivals and elsewhere. The encounter with sites, intentions and people nurture her choices and actions where the body is both an object and a subject, mediating current topics. Her works range from solo, co-lab and community art within the genres performance/live art, installations, dance for screen and choreography. Artistically she´s often referred to post-modern dance and avantgarde aesthetics. She invented the public video concept KOREOARTscape, Esperi is an artistic director, board member and curator at Finnekumla Dance & Art space, Galleri 54, Dansfilmfestivalen & The Tiny Festival Producers
In the lab you will also encounter Francesco Scavetta, choreographer, dancer and teacher and Lars Strid pedagogue at Vitlycke Museum.
About Vitlycke CPA
Vitlycke Centre for Performing arts is a non-governmental independent organisation, founded with the aim of providing an inspiring space for performing arts. Initiated by internationally renowned choreographer, dancer and teacher Francesco Scavetta, Vitlycke is a user-created, innovative informal institution. Its activities include: residencies, performances and informal showings, after-talks, workshops for professional dancers, master-classes for non-professional participants, concerts and music events, film projections and seminars.
HERE Festival
During the lab you will also be able to take part in the dance festival HERE - programme to be released Spring/Summer.
Practical information:
Location:
Vitlycke Centre for Performing Arts
Vitlycke Gård 3, Tanumshede
Vitlycke Museum
Vitlycke 2, Tanumshede
Accommodation:
27th of August – 31st of August – Vitlycke Centre for Performing Arts
31st of August - 3rd of September – Tanums Gestgifveri
All participants will have some kitchen duties during the week.
Travel:
Travel day artists 27th of August, returning on 3rd of September
You can travel by plane to Landvetter airport, Gothenburg, Sweden or Gardermoen/Oslo airport, Norway.From Gardermoen/Oslo airport you continue via bus to Tanumshede/Vitlycke, and from Landvetter airport you take the bus to Gothenburg and then continue via train or bus to Tanumshede/Vitlycke, it takes about 2-3 hours.
You can also travel by bus or train straight to Tanumshede/Vitlycke.
Find out more about the lab we hosted last year