DRIFT invites mid-career choreographers to apply for an international program that offers time, space, and support for artistic research, experimentation, and professional development.
Each selected artist will benefit from the following support:
- Research funding—a dedicated budget of 20,000 euros for the research phase, including 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, where applicable, any optional collaborators involved by the applicant in the project.
- 3 Online Labs—a series of 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 organizations.
- Professional networking & international visibility—engagement with DRIFT’s European and international partner ecosystem.
ELIGIBILITY:
The call is open to:
- 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 at an international level.
- 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.
- Artists with a good command of English (working language of the project).
Residency country requirements
Each DRIFT partner selects one artist based in their country. Applicants must be based in one of the following countries at the time of application:
Belgium · France · Germany · Greece · Italy · Norway · Portugal · Spain · Tunisia · Ukraine
Applicants are required to submit their application through the partner organization representing their country of residence.
For administrative reasons, in Belgium and Germany, the call is specifically open to applicants residing in the French-speaking Community of Belgium (FWB) and the Berlin region, respectively.
Availability requirements
Selected artists must be available for the following key dates:
- 30 November-01 December 2026 — Introductory meeting and pitching session with DRIFT partners and artists in Berlin (Germany)
- 01 November 26-17 September 2027 — One Onboarding Lab + Two local residencies (2 weeks in total) + Three online Lab sessions
- 18-21 March 2027 — Participation to the Festival Lab at in Tunis (Tunisia)
- 18-25 sept 2027 — Showcase at the Biennale de la danse, Lyon (France)
DEADLINE: August 31, 2026
