Aiming to empower artists and professionals of contemporary performing arts in the fields of international collaborations on the one hand and dramaturgy on the other, the 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture in collaboration with Busart and the International Network for Cultural Mobility On the Move designed the project “Capital Connections”. Through the project, 15 Greek performing arts institutions and / or individual artists will have the opportunity to receive personalized counselling and mentoring for one year to start or strengthen their presence on the international artistic scene, while five more artists will have the opportunity to start a similar counselling process in the field of dramaturgy with the aim to complete an artistic project.
European and global artictic scene
The extroversion of Greek artistic production has been for decades, if not since the foundation of the Greek state, a constant pursuit for both official cultural policies and artists and cultural professionals themselves. The extroversion, however, presupposes the essential knowledge of the “outside” and the constant contact with it. But what is this “outside”? What is it that we call the “European” or “international” scene?
Usually when we refer to the “European scene” we mean the activity of a few actors and artists, some festivals such as the Avignon or Edinburgh Festival and some famous directors and choreographers. Thus, we often end up, unconsciously most of the time, equating extroversion with fame and presence abroad with recognition.
In fact, the European scene consists of several hundred thousand artists and institutions who live and create in hundreds of cities from Iceland to Estonia, from Portugal to Bulgaria, from Cyprus to Sweden, etc. Most of them face similar challenges to us in trying to get to know what lies outside the geographical boundaries of their city and country.
In any case, it is rather impossible to get to know and connect with the entire European scene. Also, in most cases, connecting with the European scene does not imply recognition and fame. Rather, it involves challenging what it means to address our work to Stockholm, Riga, Warsaw, Porto and so on. And in most cases it leads to getting to know colleagues with whom we have common concerns, similar aspirations and a familiar aesthetic. Usually this contact and exchange also results in collaborations, whether they are calls, participation in European programs, or other types of collaborations.
Extroversion, therefore, and activation across borders is mainly a process. That is why, in contrast to what often happens, the debate about extroversion does not start from artistic excellence – in fact we reject exiled perceptions and behaviors that categorize artistic creation in terms of quality or non-quality result – but from desire and curiosity.
An one-year project
Through the open call, 15 artistic institutions or artists from all the spectrum of modern performing arts (theatre, dance, puppetry, modern circus, performances in public space, performances of participatory art e.t.c.) will be selected in order to attend personalised counselling and mentoring process by Kelly Diapouli and experts from the International Network for cultural mobility On the Move, lasting one year.
The project begins with an introductory two-day seminar, which will take place in Eleusis on 25 and 26 February 2023, continues with online monthly one-on-one sessions between the participants and On the Move, and concludes with a two-day face-to-face meeting at the end of the program.
Who has priority?
Priority will be given to institutions, artists and professionals at the beginning of their attempt to develop their activities abroad, to independent bodies and operators active in the Region. The project addresses active artists and professionals and not to students and amateurs. Its main goal is to empower artists and institutions that have embodied -or are willing at- international collaborations on a permanent basis and not only for a single project. A proven knowledge of English at oral and written level is required.
Fill in the application forms
For individuals https://eu.jotform.com/build/230103649093350
For institutions https://eu.jotform.com/build/230103153842342
Practical information
The fee to participate in the project amounts to 3500 euros plus VAT, of which the amount of 3000 plus VAT is covered by the 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture and the amount of 500 euros plus VAT from each participant. The contribution is paid in two installments of 250 euros plus VAT, one in February 2023 with the start of the program and one in June 2023.
Only candidates who will go through the next phase will be informed. Selected participants should be committed to the project until the completition of all the activities. They also have to be available on 25th and 26th of February for the introductory two-day seminar. Fluency in English both oral and written is necessary.
