We are super happy that we have the opportunity again in 25 to give a lot of performing artists space to do artistic research and development on Bornholm. Again this year with a focus on being a laboratory for the new ecological performing arts. We can only do that because we continue to develop formats and methods together with the wonderful artists associated with BIRCA. Every single person leaves seeds that will eventually sprout and blossom – thank you all! And we can also only do it because we get support – this year the residencies have been created with support from Creative EU and The Danish Arts Foundation..

Here you get a small overview and links where you can see each of the calls described in detail – find the one that suits you and send calls on in your network to people who can benefit from them. Each call is associated with a performing artist who helps develop the format, select participants and comes and does an introductory workshop. Please note that Island Connect has an earlier deadline 14/1 and is applied from our joint website. ICODACO er also a special project with application through seperat website and other possiblities than BIRCA (also international) – deadline is 8/1-25. Finally we this year do a special residency with the organisation Re-Connect called The Island only for artists from the SWANA region – deadline 3/1-25 The rest have a deadline of 24/1 via email to BIRCA. All calls work with ecology in the performing arts – we want to explore questions about landscape, nature, relationships, biodiversity, climate etc – and how we can act in this complexity and find new formats for the performing arts.

BIRCA eco MATTER – will be held this year 28/4-11/5 with Tora Balslev as facilitator. Call is open to performing artists from all over the world. The deadline for submission is 24/1-24. Find the full call here

BIRCA Kids – will be held this year for two week, 30/6-6/7 and 7-13/7 – again this year with My Grönholdt as facilitator. Call is open to Danish-based artist families. The deadline for submission is 24/1-24. Find full call here

BIRCA Senior – held 1-14/9 with Camilla Stage as facilitator. Call is open to performing artists based in Denmark +55. Find full call here

Re-connect The Island –

invites artists from performance and bodily-based disciplines to apply for a fully granted 15-day residency at The Island,Turkey, to be carried out between the 25th of May and the 7th of June, 2025. Project proposals must address relevant environmental topics and engage respectfully with nature. Proposals reflecting on island ecosystems or the topic of borders will be of special interest. Please note this call is aimed exclusively at artists from the global south, thosebased in areas of conflict, and/or frequently facing travel limitations due to visa-related issues. Artists based in the SWANA Region will be given priority – deadline 3/1-25. Here is a link to more information.

Island Connect – we are in the middle of our 3-year period with support from Creative EU, and we have new partners in Sardinia, Corsica and Tenerife. The project is geared towards the fact that it is about island identity and insularity issues – we simply want you to take a curious and investigative look at the European island societies – but the topic is completely open, and we are quite excited about what is offered. All selected artists will have the opportunity to participate in our large Springlab 25, which this year takes place on Tenerife 30/6-6/4 – so you must be able to participate there too. Read about Island Connect and find calls and material here.

We work with 3 formats in Island Connect – and this is what we are sending Danish artists to – but remember there are also possiblities for artists based in regions of our partners:

1) Artistic Residencies. The format we have previously worked with, where we select a group  2-3 persons and exchange with another island for a 2×2 week residency – this year BIRCA is exchanging with Ireland and we are looking for aerial artists who will benefit from a stay at IACC in Limerick – the two periods are 16-29/6 at BIRCA and 5-18/8 at IACC. Deadline for application 14/1-25.

2) A new co-creation format, where we invite a performing artist from each area to a joint development residency, where new ideas for future projects will be created, the production and screening of which the network will support. In 25 the CINE center on mallorca will host the project 23-29/6. We are looking for performing artists from islands, who has experience with co-creation and wants to be part of an international team to research and develope. Deadline 14/1-25

3) A format we call Islander Focus, which is about initiating new collaborations with new islands regarding residencies and investigating islander topics. The call is open for all kinds of artists working solo who wants to dig into this kind of topics, we will prioritize applications from Bornholm artists. This year the artist will be send to Vis/Croatia 1-14/6 and Maderia 2-13/7.

We hope you have the courage to send us an application and that we have not made it too difficult for you. Do not send applications that do not fit into our focus – save your efforts. And focus the applications you send on your visions and ideas. If you have any questions about any of this, send an email to info@BIRCA.org.