BIRCA BALTIC SEA is a residency program for performing artists based around the Baltic Sea (Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) for joint residencies. The program has been supported by he Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture funding for residential visits and BIRCA has organized two residencies for 6 artists each – the first took place in September-October 23, and the second in May 24. The residencies seeks to expand current practices with a focus on the health of the planet and on exchange and collaboration.
The residencies focus on some of these questions: What does ecological art mean? What
methods are being developed in this new field? How does the new performing art engage in
dialogue with the “audience” and society? From an artistic research perspective the participants
will co-creatively address local climate issues in the Nordic and Baltic countries as well as the
global crisis. They will – likewise in co-creation – develop ideas and themes that can lead to future
collaborations between participants to create joint artistic manifestations, soft resistance and
visions for future co-existence around the Baltic Sea. All performance art should be created with a
limited negative impact on the world’s nature and with care for all species and life forms on the
planet.
The residency is part of BIRCAs platform: Laboratory for the new ecological performing arts, which
is supported by the Danish Arts Foundation. Experiences and considerations from the residency
will be included in discussions about the ecological performing arts in RØST/REPA (Reflection room
for the Ecological Performing Arts), which we are organizing in collaboration with organizers,
artists and researchers in Denmark.
In the first edition the following artists participated:
Liene Jurgelane/Latvia
Ilze Mazpane/Latvia
Henri Hüt/Estonia
Tuulia Ritsilä/Finland
Korina Kordova/Sweden/Brasil
Sylar Robert Ssempijja/Sweden/Uganda
In the second edition the following artists participate
Heidi Miikki/Finland
Liina Leo/Estonia
Paula Nousiainen/Finland
Nazaré Soares/Lithuinia
Sanna Hirvonen /Finland
Siri Bengtén/Sweden
