Nowina: Open call “bodies of Water. dance Research”

bodies of Water. dance Research is a 7-day artistic residency (24–30.08.2025) dedicated to performative arts and choreographic practices.

We will coordinate a collective process of creation, research and meeting of artistic individuals. During this residency, we will delve into the concept of water bodies, immersing ourselves in both internal and external hydro-landscapes while discovering our aqueous identities and our fluid relationships with the world. Drawing on ecosomatic practices, choreographic scores, texts, and visual materials, we will collectively craft a hydrofeminist, non-linear narrative that conveys the wet stories embedded in our tissues and harks back to our piscine and amphibian origins.

Creative process: participants are expected to commit to approximately 7 hours of daily creative engagement, necessitating full-time availability throughout the residency.

Activities: a significant part of the work will take place outdoors – in forests, meadows, and near small water bodies – allowing people to connect directly with nature.

Final performance: the residency will culminate in an open presentation of work, where the audience is invited to join in “wet rituals” and experience the collectively created world of aquatic expression.

Documentation: parts of the creative process, as well as the final performance, will be documented photographically and on video. Participants must provide consent for such recordings.

Language: the entire residency will be conducted in English. Selected topics and exercises may be translated into Polish if necessary.

Regeneration and being together: there will be time to integrate all the dance practices in sessions of bodywork, collective naps in nature and floating on the surface of the water together.

Additional activities: besides the choreographic practices both in the studio and in the field, the event organizers plan to include bonfires, discussion panels, film screenings, “body walks”, and other engaging activities.

Moreover, the surrounding area offers much to explore – horseback rides into the forest, walks through a shooting range reserve, and, within a short drive, access to a lake (15 minutes by car) and the Bardzkie Mountains and Kłodzko Basin (40 minutes by car).

The organizers welcome performance art individuals interested in a collective process of creation, dancers, and choreographers with diverse movement experience, as well as interdisciplinary artists working in various fields of art. All body types and identities are welcome. While high physical fitness is not a requirement, applicants should be aware that the residency involves many hours of movement improvisation.

The event organizers aim to be mindful of neurodiverse needs as much as possible, so please let them know beforehand if there is anything that should be considered in the facilitation. Please note that the diverse terrain participants will be working in may have limited accessibility for people with disabilities.

The organizers collaborate with the friendly agritourism provider, Nowina Konie i Glina in the Lower Silesian countryside, in a hilly neighbourhood of the Sudetes Mountains. Accommodation is available in 2- to 5-person rooms or in a dormitory with shared bathroom facilities and kitchen access. There is the possibility of arriving early or staying later, subject to prior arrangements with the host. Please note that outside of the residency dates, meal services are not available, and the village lacks shops (the nearest supermarket is 7 km away, and a small village store is 5 km from Nowina).

A sliding scale is based on individual budgets:

• 270 € – covers the residency’s basic costs for accommodation and meals, excluding any compensation for the event organizers
• 280–350 € – is the higher range, which helps compensate for time and supports ongoing efforts

Given the low-cost nature of the residency, there is no possibility of hiring a separate catering team. The team members will prepare meals regularly, but their work will rely on your assistance. Therefore, each participant will be asked to help out with cooking or cleaning 2–3 times.

Participants will work in a group of 16 people. Due to the limited number of spots, only a selected group of applicants can be invited. Each application will be responded to within 2 weeks. Motivation responses of participants and dance/improvisation recordings will play a role in the selection process.

Apply through the form.