NEWS
.png)
DIGITAL ARTIST RESIDENCIES - CALL FOR ARTISTS
We are currently seeking applications for 3 digital artist residencies on the topic of "Social Inclusion"!
As part of the Creative Europe- funded project DigiLiveAiR (the continuation of DigiLabAiR, see below), we commission three artists or artist groups based in a Creative Europe program country* to develop performances-for-camera on the topic of ‘SOCIAL INCLUSION’. An inclusive society is equipped with mechanisms which accommodate diversity, and facilitate/enable people’s active participation in their political, economic and social lives. As such, it over-rides differences of race, gender, class, generation, and geography, and ensures equal opportunities for all to achieve full potential in life, regardless of origin
We are looking for new works that involve critical, poetic or research-led explorations through body-based performance art of concepts that critically investigate into the de-facto level of social inclusion that society offers and shes light on processes of in- and exclusion, disadvantages, and marginalization that remain in place based on one’s identity.
The performance-for-film works will be developed in dialogue with ECC Performance Art through three joint online sessions between all artists and ECC Performance Art director Anja Foerschner as well as one or two individual mentoring sessions between each artist and Anja. The online residencies are a space where the participating artists and mentors work co-creatively to exchange practices and ideas. They offer the artists a place for formation, hospitality, confrontation and contamination, merging different realities and experiences
The resulting films will be showcased in a public exhibition at the Venice International Performance Art Week in Italy in December 2026, and become part of the online platform PAV - Performance Art Video with the aim to generate further revenue for the artists through an ongoing subscription model.
• This call is for artists or artist groups based in a country of the Creative Europe programme.*
• Applications must be received by April 20, 2026. Online interviews with shortlisted candidates will be held April 23-24. Accepted applicants will be notified by April 27. .
• Commissioned artists or artists group receive 2900-€ for developing a new, original performance-based film work.
• Only new performance-for-camera works on the above-mentioned topic will be considered.
• The commissioning activity takes place as part of the DigiLiveAiR digital artist-in-residence between May 1 and October 15, 2026
• No formal requirements are held on the length and technique of the performance-for-film work, but it needs to be produced, realized and edited between May-October 2026.
• Selected artists are acquainted with the Green Production Guide or Green Film Criteria, aiming to reduce their artistic production’s impact on the environment.
Application process:
In order to apply please provide the following
• Short bio
• 3-5 worksamples (as images or links)
• Letter of motivation up to 500 words (please do not use AI but your own voice)
• Draft of the proposed work to be developed during the residency (as PDF, word, PPT or short video (link), not to exceed 100MB). We invite you to address key points such as: What is the main topic and concern of your film? Which actions or interventions to you plan? What role does the body serve? Which filmic mediums and processes do you plan to use? Where do you see a larger relevance for your work? What difficulties or challenges can you foresee and how do you plan on addressing them?
Please send the required documents in ONE PDF titled “last name_DigiLiveAiR” to info@ecc-performanceart.eu with email subject header equally titled “last name_DigiLiveAiR”. Please note that submissions received after April 20 will not be considered and ONLY artists invited to the interview will receive a notification. This means that if you haven’t heard from us by April 23 we unfortunately have not chosen you.
We explicitly encourage applications and collaborations from people from otherwise marginalized communities. If it should not be possible for you to submit your proposal in the way outlined below, or if you need any assistance, please get in touch and we look forward to finding ways to make it work for you.
DigiLiveAiR
DigiLiveAiR is co-funded by the European Union, and promotes inclusion, participation, and reflection through performance art in hybrid mode. A project by “PAV - Performance Art Video”, EntrAxis e.V., Studio Contemporaneo, European Cultural Centre, NURT and Untitled Tbilisi.
The Digital Live Artists-in-Residence (DigiLiveAiR) project promotes inclusion, diversity, and participation through performance art and Live art based on international co-creation processes. It focuses on innovation by introducing new models of hybrid artistic residencies and transferring methodologies that foster inclusive, sustainable, and digitally enabled performance practices. (AiR) programs, encompassing both digital (online) and in-person attendance. The project is designed to strengthen the capacity for innovation in Europe’s cultural and creative sectors (CCS). Co-creative activities are an integral part of artistic experiences in the performance and live arts, as audiences engage in cognitive and imaginary practices to make sense of their cultural products and experiences. Particularly problematic is that working opportunities in the performing arts sector are often temporary and financially precarious. DigiLiveAiR has been conceived by a consortium of partner associations from Germany, Georgia, Italy, the Netherlands, and Ukraine to respond to this emergency and create new income prospects for emerging European performance and Live art artists.
* Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine.
----------------------------------------------------------
On Curating Performance Art: Anja Foerschner (ECC Performance Art) in conversation with Fabrizio Pizzuto (Rome University of Fine Arts)
.jpg)
In this conversation, ECC Performance Art's director Anja Foerschner discusses the challenges and opportunities of curating
performance art with Fabrizio Pizzuto, the coordinator of the Master's program in Art Curating and Management at
Rome University of Fine Arts
https://ecc-performanceart.eu/files/FabizioAnja.mp4
------------------------------
VENICE INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE ART WEEK 2023
We are proud to be part of the 2023 Venice International Performance Art Week! The VIII Venice International Performance Art Week presents DigiLabAir | Emergencies of the Contemporary, focusing on sustainable development as a fundamental principle of our societies. The DIGILABAIR exhibition comprises 24 performance-based video works, 15 of which were realised during digital art residencies hosted by the five project partners' European non-profit cultural associations. ECC Performance Art's artists-in-residence are featured with their performance-based videos 'I cannot be silence(ed) anymore' (Kirsten Heshusius), ''The Struggle for Visibility' (Noli Kat), and 'Mare Nostrum' (Chantal Spapens).
EMERGENCIES OF THE CONTEMPORARY features a live performance program with internationally recognised and emerging performance artists addressing pressing issues such as marginalisation, poverty, climate emergency, migration, accessibility, social and gender equality, justice and peace. ECC Performance Art's director Anja Foerschner curated 'SOLA'', a performance by Marta Jovanovic that reflects on experiences of loneliness and isolation but also on solidarity and the hope that holds out against them.
The Venice International Performance Art Week runs from December 15-17, 2023, at ECC's Palazzo Mora.
------------------------------
DIGILABAIR and PERFORMANCE ART VIDEO
ECC Performance Art is part of Digital Lab Artist-in-Residences (DigiLabAir), a Creative Europe-funded project that promotes inclusion, participation, and reflection through performance art and live art co-creation processes for new forms of creativity, artistic production, and audience engagement, realising an innovative model in hybrid (digital and live). The partnership involves six European cultural associations with strong territorial knowledge and anchoring in participatory co-creation processes to foster the development of a continuously growing audience. The project focuses on innovation, digitalisation and audience development through the organisation of five Digital Artist-in Residences led by project partners on social issues framed in the SDG Agenda. A key feature of the project is the implementation of PAV Performance Art Video, a digital platform operating with a video-on-demand strategy: video performance artworks produced during the digital artist-in-residences are disseminated online, promoting artists’ visibility and providing financial sustenance. DigiLabAiR aims to build an innovative, sustainable model using digital technology to support performance art and live art to respond creatively to the present crises. The resulting films are showcased in a public exhibition at the Venice International Performance Art Week on December 15-17, 2023 and become part of PAV.
RESIDENCIES / PARTNERS / ARTISTS:
EntrAxis e.V. (Germany): On climate emergency, environment and political landscapes
Curated and mentored by Verena Stenke (VestAndPage)
With Petra Kuppers & Kym McDaniel (DE/US), Vicky Maier & Steef Kersbergen (DE/NL), Priiya Prethora (DE/IN)
Studio Contemporaneo (Venice): On migratory flux, forced displacement, sense of belonging, community and home
Curated and mentored by Andrea Pagnes (VestAndPage)
With Nicola Fornoni (IT), Matilde Sambo (IT), Sabrina Bellenzier (IT/GE)
G.A.P. Gathering Around Performance (Athens): On urban spaces, technological innovation and augmented realities
Curated and mentored by Francesco Kiais
With Virginia Mastrogiannaki (GR), Yannis Pappas (GR/DE), Despina Zacharoupoulou (GR/UK)
G12 HUB (Belgrade): On feminism, queer theory and LGBTQI+ issues
Curated and mentored by Marta Jovanovic
With Kata Rankovic (RS), Sara Kostic (RS), Aleks Zain (RS)
ECC Performance Art's artists-in-residence working on the topic of Social Inclusion were Chantal Spapens, Noli Kat and Kirsten Heshusius.