New artists selected for the Moving Identities Residency program
Again in 2024-25, five performing arts groups will be creating new work across five European countries, learning and sharing perspectives on contemporary European identity.
Grief, war, and social justice are among the artistic themes chosen for the second year of the European residency programme exploring European identity today.
The groups selected for this year’s programme delve deeply into themes of identity, social justice, grief, and war in this second year of Moving Identities.
They will challenge stereotypes, broaden our understanding of social justice, and the experiences of grief and witnessing war. The performing artists’ explorations will prompt reflection on the human experience, particularly the existential dimensions of life, death, and mortality.
“We are witnesses to large-scale events, and this affects our fate,
whether we want it or not”
– ISKRA (NO)
The five selected groups will be in residency in the country in which they are based before continuing their explorations with two international venues.
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ANART from Denmark
ANART from Denmark shed light on the lived experiences of Ukrainian women amidst conflict, amplifying their voices and advocating for justice. They work with contemporary dance and immersive performances and are dedicated to promoting human rights and democratic values through their performances.
For Moving Identities, they will research the impact of global events, that are shaping our reality, on a dancer’s body and how can it can create art.
They will visit Udviklingsplatformen for Scenekunst (Denmark), Kunstplaats Vonk (Belgium), and HELLERAU(Germany).
Read about their work here.
#yodo from Germany
#yodo from Germany (You only die once) aim to further develop immersive artistic formats that invite people to get in touch with mortality, dying, grief and the understanding of care work. They work with traditional and urban African dance, political organising, end-of-life care, dance education and poetic research.
They are interested in curating spaces to open up, exchange, and learn together on these topics which are often marginalized in western contexts.
They will visit HELLERAU (Germany), Kunstplaats Vonk (Belgium), and Udviklingsplatformen for Scenekunst(Denmark).
Read about their work here.
ISKRA from Norway
ISKRA from Norway are, as artists in exile, trying to make their theatre in new circumstances, in a new cultural field, in a new country. They aim to create a space for dialogue to explore identities, roots, and a new way of making theatre when the world is on fire. Their work includes drama and shadow theatre, documentary techniques, and interactive installations.
For Moving Identities, they will research the identity of the witness, and the meaning of becoming witnesses not only to global events, but also to each other’s experiences.
They will visit Davvi (Norway), Nau Ivanow (Spain), and Kunstplaats Vonk (Belgium).
Read about their work here.
Las Sistahs from Spain
Las Sistahs from Spain search for social justice and explore black feminism. They believe that the biggest revolution is working from and with tenderness and love, which is how they want to work as a group of Afro-descendant women.
For Moving Identities, they will investigate three notions of a black woman’s body: pleasure, strangeness, and pain. Based on the cases of Dr. J. Marion Sims, known as the "father of modern gynaecology", as well as contemporary experiences, they will explore what remains of those savage, racist and violent practices, and find new ways to celebrate the body, sexuality, and pleasure of black women.
They will visit Nau Ivanow (Spain), Davvi (Norway), and HELLERAU (Germany).
Read about their work here.
The Age of Love from Belgium
The Age of Love from Belgium work with identity, queerness, and the search for underrepresented talents. They support different communities coming together, and explore possibilities of finding love through both differences and similarities with the idea that: “Black or white, straight or queer? – It’s all disco.”
For Moving Identities, they will explore the experiences of second-generation immigrants, and their struggles and celebrations. Their research includes practical and performative methods, interviews, working with physical materials, and how these can be linked to their own heritage.
They will visit Kunstplaats Vonk (Belgium), HELLERAU (Germany), and Davvi (Norway).
Read about their work here.
How Moving Identities work
The aim of the programme is to achieve greater diversity in the performing arts across Europe and to strengthen underrepresented artists’ international networks and visibility through international residencies. Moving Identities also enables the sharing of best practice amongst the partner institutions, ensuring that they develop tools to support diverse artists and themes.
Each year, a group of artists is selected in each country. Each group receives 3 residencies across the year: 1 in their country of residence, and 2 internationally within the programme. The artists also meet online to network and receive mentoring which furthers their opportunity to develop their creative practice.
In 2024/25 the participating countries are Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Germany, and Spain.
Through exploring what it means to be European now, Moving Identities investigate how the performing arts connect us and contribute to a more just and collaborative Europe.
