PUBLIC RECORDINGS WITH 10 GATES DANCING

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS
8 DAYS
A GATHERING OF CHOREOGRAPHERS AT LA B.A.R.N.
JUNE 17-24, 2012

Held over eight days, this intensive encounter is meant to create a context that invites Canadian choreographers to come together to exchange around the notions of choreographic thinking and process. The core values of this gathering are curiosity, creative risk-taking and reflection, with a fluidity around the notions of theory and practice in order to engender the deepening of choreographic practice.

Selected by open call, six Canadian choreographers from across the country will be invited, together with Ame Henderson and Tedd Robinson, to embark on a co-authored adventure, created by those who are present, and guided by their overlapping experiences as choreographers. Participants are asked to arrive with an openness about what this encounter might be, a willingness to expose and share, and a rigour around intellectual and artistic exchange.

The project addresses a need for peer-to-peer choreographic development in Canada, insisting that it is a mode that is crucial to the continued relevance of the art form. The question of how we practice is intimately related to what we create – understanding theory and practice, talking and making, doing and reflecting, as interwoven threads of creative development. Here we can provoke and invigorate this question, and explore our practices in dialogue with other makers.

With everyday realities suspended for a time, 8 DAYS is an opportunity to escape the pressures of production-driven work in order to expand creative ideas and to imagine new ways of working. It creates space to reflect on one’s current practice and to envision – through dialogue and experimentation – new artistic possibilities.

Each participant will be responsible for facilitating and/or planning a portion of the shared time. The days will be divided between different activities with participants responsible for the organization of modules. For example, a typical day could include blocks for formal showings of material, studio work and open discussion and will also include shared meals and time for personal reflection.

The larger community will engage with 8 DAYS through its documentation and the subsequent dissemination of this material. Each participant will be asked to respond to the notion of documentation and the necessity of sharing their experience with other dance professionals whom have not attended. To this end, each participant will create reflective responses that will be produced during or immediately following the gathering. This co-authored documentation will then be disseminated via an online framework to share the process and its outcomes.

Logistical Details
8 DAYS will be held at La B.A.R.N. on Lac Leslie in the Pontiac Region of Quebec. Directed by Tedd Robinson, this retreat features a century-old barn converted into a studio and performance space, accommodation, and cooking facilities. The participating artists will arrive on Saturday, June 16th, and depart Sunday, June 24th. Public Recordings has applied for funding to cover an honourarium for each participant as well as travel costs, accommodation and meals. Funding announcements should be known by the beginning of March 2012. Participants are encouraged to seek further funding to support their participation.

DEADLINE: Jan 25, 2012
Please submit a letter of interest and recent biography in addition to any work samples that are relevant to contextualize your application. The letter of interest should detail your current choreographic concerns and address how participation in this encounter might enrich your practice. Please keep your responses brief and select any support material carefully with the aim of addressing this specific opportunity.

Applications can be submitted in English or French. Please note: the working language will be in English.

All materials must be submitted electronically. Support materials must be included as an attachment or available online. Make sure to include all necessary links and access information. Please note, applications sent by mail cannot be processed.

For more information and to apply: eightdays (at) publicrecordings (dot) org