Invisible Dance: The Body in Friction
Departing from the notion of "invisibility" in Augusto Boal’s invisible theatre and social choreography, the Goethe-Institut initiated a process-based laboratory for performance-makers in India and Indonesia in 2022. The Indonesian Garasi Performance Institute and Indian choreographer Mandeep Raikhy jointly developed “Invisible Dance” as a platform for artists to explore invisible connections between social experiences and dance. In this first edition of the project in 2022, seven artists and art collectives from geographically and socially diverse backgrounds in Indonesia and India were invited to develop new performance-based works by responding to the question of the ‘invisible’ in their respective cultural contexts.
Following the findings of the Invisible Dance project in 2022, the project continues in 2023 with a specific thematic engagement of the body in relation to the idea of friction. How do socio-cultural conflicts and tensions become integral to the structuring of our everyday experience? In what ways does the embodied experience of friction reside in our bodies? How does conflict articulate itself or find resolution through the movement of our bodies?
In an attempt to widen its reach to explore possibilities of intercultural exchange and comparative understanding of experiences across the south globe, Invisible Dance: The Body in Friction invites applications from the broader locations of South Asia and Southeast Asia through an open call process. Please check the ‘Who Can Apply’ section for more information on which countries are included in the eligibility criteria for this residency.
The selected residents will be required to attend a three-week residency comprising an intensive programme of workshops, dialogue and exchange from 10-30 April 2023 in Ahmedabad, India. The residency may culminate in a series of individual and collaborative performances at the Conflictorium.
The following artists are eligible to apply for the residency:
- Artists who are interested in socio-political engagement through dance, choreography and/or movement research.
- Choreographers and interdisciplinary performance artists with an experience of working with movement for at least three years.
- Citizens or residents of Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- Artists from communities that are historically and structurally marginalized on account of their social and geographical location. Those working in peripheral locations, satellite cities, rural and coastal areas will be given priority.
- English will be the residency’s communication language. Since the residents are expected to actively engage in the exchange process during the residency, basic comfort in spoken English will be required.
- The applicants must hold the required documents for international travel (passport, Covid vaccine certificates, etc).
Applicants for this residency are expected to complete and submit the online application form, which expects the applicants to provide the following details:
- Submit a link to 1 unit (5-10 minutes) simple video recording of your thoughts and responses in spoken language (English) and/or with moving bodies regarding the term "conflict" and "friction" in your context and how these terms have shaped your artistic practice. Please share an unlisted Youtube link to the video.
OR
1 unit of short essay (350-500 words) in English about “conflict” or “friction” in relation to your practice.
- Submit a link to an introduction video (1–3 minutes) in English that introduces your profile, activity as a choreographer or performance artist, and your expectations about the residency program. Please share an unlisted Youtube link to the video.
- Submit links to videos of your previous works.
- Submit a CV in English.
The application deadline is 20 February 2023. Please submit your application by 11.59 pm GMT. The applicants will be notified on the shortlist by the first week of March, 2023.
Each of the selected residents will receive:
- Flight tickets, visa costs, food allowance and lodging
- Remuneration of 450 euros for their participation at the residency
- Artistic research support
- Comparative and intercultural artistic exchange
- Opportunity for local, national, and international networking
- Live research outcomes/work-in-progress presentations
- Publication of the documentation of the process and presentations
The selected residents are expected to:
- Attend and actively contribute to the residency program in person that will take place in Ahmedabad, India, from 10-30 April 2023. The series of workshops will be facilitated by Mandeep Raikhy and Garasi Performance Institute.
- Create individual or collaborative performances that stem from the workshops at the residency and engage with the space at the Conflictorium. The presentation will be documented and made accessible through different media, e.g. via public broadcast, web radio and websites.
- Participate in the documentation of the process and the public performances in the form of photo essays and video documentaries that will be published on social media, websites and will potentially be included in future exhibitions.
Priority will be given to applicants who:
- Work in peripheral locations, satellite cities, rural and coastal areas.
- Indicate an interest in generating social impact through dance, choreography, and/or physical repertoire.
- Submit a sample work (video or writing) that is well informed and grounded in experiences of engagement.
- Demonstrate a commitment to fully participate in the program with an open, convivial and supportive approach.
- Express a willingness to look for new approaches, findings and ideas from the artist exchange at the residency program.
- Articulate an interest to work beyond the aesthetic hierarchy in dance and performance by exploring the movement of the everyday, specific social and cultural choreographies, or marginalized forms of movement repertoires.
The team of curators and programmers of Invisible Dance, Garasi Performance Institute from Indonesia, Mandeep Raikhy from India, Avni Sethi from the Conflictorium and the Goethe-Institut will constitute the selection committee for the residency.
For further queries or support, please contact us on
invisibledance2023@gmail.com
