EU DANCE HACK

OPEN CALL BUDAPEST

BDH is a unique opportunity to meet like-minded artists and technology specialists who are interested in creative risk-taking and collaborate in an exciting and supportive atmosphere. Together we explore the relationship between dance and technology to kickstart the future of performance. 

BDH24 takes place from 11th – 15th November 2024 in central Budapest, capital of Hungary. We are currently looking for participants. Applications are welcome from artists, coders, designers, musicians, dancers, etc – who can demonstrate a commitment to collaboration with a focus on integrating the moving body into their practice.  

BDH24 is a safe space for exploration. Participants will work together to explore the technology provided within a performance context, guided by experienced mentors. The programme will include a matchmaking event, and ends with an informal sharing of ideas on the final day – with a small, invited audience. 

The idea of the Dance Hack transdisciplinary concept is to work collectively on new ideas, rather than preparing things beforehand. The technological theme of this Hack is yet to be confirmed, so anything could happen. The focus is on the relationship between dance and technology, and the process of integrating the two. Last year, we had sensors, interactive projection and soundscape, live musicians and AI. 

BDH24 is part of a larger project realised in partnership with TaikaBox (Finnland) and Developing Art (Romania) and co-funded by the European Union and Oulu Culture Foundation Oulu2026. The first stage of Dance Hack took place in Oulu in May, and after BDH24, the programs last destination is Romania Developiung Art. 

Participants will be paid a fee and per diem (also covering time spent travelling) 

BDH is committed to environmental sustainability. We will cover the cost of the participants’ slow travel and cannot accept participants who use air travel in relation to participating in BDH24. Accommodation is provided.  
 
As an event providing equal opportunity and accessibility, we welcome applicants with special needs or care responsibilities, and can negotiate resources to support their attendance. The venue for BDH24 is a ground-floor studio that is wheelchair accessible. 

To apply, please fill in this application form and upload a CV and a brief letter that tells us why you would like to take part in the event (this could be in the form of video or audio recording, if required). Note that you need a working Google account in order to add attachments. The application process closes at 23:59 (EET) on July 14th 2024. We will inform all applicants the middle of August. 

EU Dance Hack is a 20-month long project devised by TaikaBox (FI), Central Europe Dance Theatre (HU) and Developing Art (RO). The objective of the project is innovation and it addresses the priority of international dimension. To find new directions and practical tools for performing artists and arts organisations working in the independent/freelance sector to navigate the increasingly unstable world, the partners focus on devising a unique Dance Hack residency method that brings international artists, education specialists, researchers and technology businesses to work together as equals in a practical and experimental way towards a common goal.

 

 

The methods are developed through a series of test and evaluation cycles that include three five-day Dance Hack residencies taking place in Finland in month 5, in Romania in month 11 and in Hungary in 17. A total of 15 artists – five for each residency – from different parts of Europe are selected through open calls to work as part of trans-disciplinary teams. The partners build ecosystems around each residency, combining the fields of arts, science, education and business to support the logistics of the residencies, to create a vast network of like-minded people and to broker new ways to regenerate these fields. Ecosystems are built through practical work together but also through a programme of networking and knowledge-sharing activities such as workshops and match-making events to broker new relations between sectors. Public demos, panel discussions and the project website are used to disseminate the project outcomes to a wider public. The partners also run a residency mentoring scheme to support the realisation of the residencies and to build capacity. Three mentor trainees – one from each country – attend the programme. At the end of the project, the partners publish a guidebook and provide consultancy on how to run a Dance Hack residency to inspire other organisations and to widen the network.