© DR / Percursos pela Arquitetura / ETAR Sobreiras 2005
iCoDaCo – International Contemporary Dance Collective
iCoDaCo is a large-scale Creative Europe project, co-financed by the European Union and coordinated by ilDance. This edition will focus on the development and implementation of innovative strategies and methodologies for the creation and dissemination of contemporary dance, with the goal of creating a digital sharing platform, open to the community of contemporary dance artists from around the world.
Instável, Portuguese partner of this European cooperation project, is pleased to announce this call for the selection of four artists, independent and with a contemporary approach in the area of dance, for the formation of a new collective.
Between 2024 and 2027, within certain previously defined periods, the collective will contribute to the development of new forms of knowledge, participate in activities to reach out to the local community and create and present artistic works. Participation in the project will be full-time during the stipulated periods.
The call is aimed at Portuguese artists or artists residing in Portugal, preferably in the North, and who are interested in developing in-depth research in the area of dance.
The project involves the participation of twelve European countries, with nine collectives being formed.
About the collective
The project is divided into some phases and initiatives, in which the selected artists will be involved.
a) The knowledge production phase, taking place between November 2024 and February 2026. This phase comprises fifteen weeks of artistic residencies, in Porto, lasting two weeks each (with the exception of the first).
The dates already confirmed for the residences in this part of the project are:
11/25 – 12/01/2024
03/03 – 03/16/2025
04/21 – 05/04/2025
06/02 – 06/15/2025
09/15 – 09/29/2025
20/10 – 02/11/ 2025
19/01 – 01/02/2026
b) The collaborative creation process, over six weeks, in 2026. In this phase, the collective must develop a new creation that will be integrated into the programming of a mini-festival within the scope of the project. The mini-festival will last two weeks in 2027.
c) Throughout the entire project, artists will be involved in community relations activities and public events (workshops, classes, lectures, satellite creations, etc.) and document and share their experiences with other collectives.
During the process, artists will have access to a range of seminars, conferences and workshops designed to provoke thought, challenge artistic development and facilitate networking opportunities across Europe. They will also have access to mentoring and advice sessions with experts, depending on the needs and intentions of each artist.
The dominant working language, in collaborative processes between the nine collectives, will be English.
Candidates’ profile
– Age from 18 years old, with no upper limit;
– Portuguese artists or artists residing in Portugal, preferably in the North region;
– Significant experience in dance creation and research;
– Availability for the defined periods;
– Artists with a contemporary approach to their practice and dance (contemporary, folkloric, urban, classical, postmodern, circus, performance, or others), with a critical lens on social, political and cultural issues;
– Interest and willingness to work collectively, open mind and curiosity in participating in collaborative processes;
– Interest in placing one’s own body in the work;
– Interest in interacting with different people and communities throughout the process.
Application process using a specific form
– Biographical note (up to 1500 characters), which must include relevant training and professional experience;
– Motivation letter (up to one page or video of up to two minutes), which explains the interest and expectations in the project, what you think of the potential and challenges that can occur within a collaborative artistic process, and how you consider your practice contemporary;
– Short/medium-term themes and interests (up to 1500 characters);
– Proof of residence.
The deadline for submitting applications is June 15th.
Applying for this call does not preclude applying for Palcos Instáveis or other Instável projects.
Participation in the project will be remunerated within the following periods:
– 15 weeks of research and knowledge production phase
– 6 weeks of collaborative creation process
– 2 weeks of mini-festival
The remuneration will be in accordance with the Artist’s Statute, in a combination of Very Short Term and Intellectual Property contracts (CAE 90030).