MOVIDA Lab on Dance & Technology
AI, Accessibility and Dance
3-6 December 2026, CINETIC UNATC │ 8-11 December 2026, CNDB
OPEN CALL for duos of European-based dance artists and creative technologists
We’re opening a Call for Participation in MOVIDA Labs for 16 multidisciplinary duos, with competences in dance and in technology (particularly, related to artificial intelligence). We are organizing 4 Labs of 9 days each, between December 2026 and February 2027, in 4 countries: Estonia, Germany, Portugal and Romania.
The MOVIDA Lab on Dance & Technology organised at UNATC will take place between 3-6 December 2026 at the CINETIC UNATC headquarters (Tudor Arghezi Str. 3-B, Bucharest).
Apply here by 3 August 2026 (23:59 CEST/Brussels time): https://forms.gle/2KwSs8VBQcBSGBkm7
ABOUT MOVIDA
Movement and Virtual Intelligence for the Development and Accessibility of Artists and Audiences (MOVIDA) aims to explore the possibilities for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies in contemporary dance to: build capacity for artists; use these technologies for audience development and engagement; and improve accessibility for persons with disabilities and mental health issues.
Recent developments in AI, particularly Virtual Intelligence, the combination of AI, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR); and Embodied AI, the integration of AI into physical systems through robotics; provide dancers with a new world of possibilities for their artistic development.
MOVIDA is a 3-year project, running from 1/April 2026 to 31/March 2029. It is a follow-up project to MODINA (2023-26). MOVIDA is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. Please read more about MOVIDA at: https://movida.dance/
ABOUT MOVIDA LABS
We are opening a Call for Participation in MOVIDA Labs for 16 multidisciplinary duos, encompassing competences in dance and in technology. We are organizing 4 Labs of 9 days, across 4 countries, hosted by “duos” of academic and dance institutions: UNATC/CNDB (Romania), Tallinn University/STL (Estonia), Hochschule Düsseldorf/tanzhaus nrw (Germany), and Interactive Technologies Institute/O Espaço do Tempo (Portugal). Note that each application is limited to only one lab.
The four 9-day Labs, with 4 duos each, will take place between December 2026 and February 2027.
WHY APPLY?
- Gain further skills and knowledge in integrating technology in dance
- Test new solutions and approaches for dance in topics such as AI, robotics, mental health and accessibility
- Network with like-minded artists
- Get exposure to your work through MOVIDA promotion channels
WHAT WE OFFER
- Travel/Accommodation
- A budget composed of (gross amounts):
- Fee of €1.200 per each of the 2 artists
- Production budget of up to €500 for the duo
- Additional needs might also be covered, in agreement with the host institution
- In Part 1: 4 days of masterclasses around the topics of MOVIDA
- In Part 2: 4 half-days of studio access to explore concepts and approaches
- Access to equipment and personnel of the host institutions
- Documentation (photos, videos, etc)
- Invitation to future networking events, with other artists selected
- “Fast-track” for applying for MOVIDA 2-month residencies in 2027-2028, to further develop the exploratory work from the Lab.
STRUCTURE OF THE LAB
- Part 1 of the Lab, on days 1-4, will take place in the academic partner leading the Lab (TLU, HSD, ITI or UNATC). In those 4 days, there will be half-day master classes around the topic of the lab (see list of topics). These master classes will be taught by specialized staff from the academic partner host and by invited experts. Mostly, the master classes will be practical and technical, but there will also be a theoretical and reflexive component.
- Also in Part 1, artists will apply the topics of the master classes to their own artistic concept development. They will be mentored by the academic staff and the invited experts in that development. They will also engage in collective activities with the whole cohort, for peer support.
- Day 5 will be a transition day. This will be partly for rest, partly for setup in the studio space, depending on the Lab.
- Part 2 of the Lab, on days 6-9, will take place in the partner dance center of the same country (STL, Tanzhaus NRW, OEDT or CNDB). Each dance center will make available studio spaces: half-day of studio space per duo. In this Part 2, the artists will develop a “demo”, with more possibilities in terms of studio and equipment.
- During this Part 2, doors may be opened for interested locals during the process.
- Part 2 will end with a wrap-up series of internal presentations from each artist duo to their peers and MOVIDA team regarding the work done during the Lab.
THEMES, LOCATIONS, DATES
Duos can apply to ONE of the following Labs (the same artist cannot apply to more than one track):
- AI, accessibility and dance. Bucharest (CNDB/UNATC), 3-11 December 2026
- AI, AR/VR and dance. Düsseldorf (Tanzhaus NRW/HSD), 13-21 January 2027
- AI, robotics and dance. Lisbon / Montemor-o-Novo (OEDT/ITI), 1-9 February 2027
- AI, mental health and dance. Tallinn (STL/TLU), 3-11 February 2027
OUTCOMES OF THE LAB
- Artistic development and capacity building, on the themes of MOVIDA
- Development of a demo
- Networking
- Documentation
GENERAL AND REGIONAL TRACKS
There are 3 tracks: General (8 duo vacancies), Regional (5 duo vacancies) or Ukrainian (3 duo vacancies). Candidates apply to ONE of these tracks.
- Regional vacancies are for duos where both applicants are based in one of the countries of MOVIDA (should match address given): Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Portugal or Romania (both applicants from the same country).
- Ukrainian vacancies are for duos where both applicants are based in Ukraine (should match address given).
- General vacancies are for applicants of other eligible countries.
DIVERSITY
MOVIDA strives to ensure gender balance (particularly given the imbalances in the technological area), inclusion and diversity during all activity stages.
- To ensure a safe space, every participant of MOVIDA project is required to follow the code of conduct: https://movida.dance/coc/
- In our website, you can find a list of what the host institutions can offer in terms of accessibility: https://movida.dance/accessibility/
- We will make our best efforts to support accessibility in our online presence, for example by adding alt texts to images when published.
SUSTAINABILITY
- MOVIDA promotes an environmentally friendly approach, including travel, so whenever reasonable applicants should use less carbon emitting transportation options.
- MOVIDA artists should also be committed to follow sustainable practices in production where feasible (e.g. reusing materials, sourcing locally, etc).
- Projects with high computational power requirements may be expected to report on responsible usage to minimize emissions.
For further guidelines, please see the FAQs below.
REQUESTED MATERIALS
- An artist statement (PDF, A4, maximum 2 pages), answering the question: What topics and approaches would you like to explore in the Lab, and how would you like to apply these to your own artistic development?
- Please make sure you address in your answer the theme of the Lab you have chosen.
- CVs of both applicants
- Link to website or online portfolio (with videos) of each applicant
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Both applicants must be resident in Europe.
- Either in a EU country
- Or in a Creative Europe eligible country, see: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/crea/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_crea_en.pdf
- As a duo, applicants need to demonstrate capabilities:
- in developing and integrating technology in dance practice,
- particularly computational creativity and/or audience interaction.
SELECTION CRITERIA
- Artistic statement
- Relevance of the topics and approaches
- How these contribute to own artistic development
- How these address the theme of the lab
- Portfolio in contemporary dance (at least from one of the two candidates).
- Portfolio in computational creativity and media arts (at least from one of the two candidates).
IMPORTANT DATES
- Apply until: 3/August (23:59 CEST/Brussels time)
- Decision by: 15/September
INFO SESSION, 30/JUNE, 11AM CEST/Brussels time (ZOOM)
- Register to info session by 28/June
- Link to register to info session:
https://forms.gle/FZnjoPyZMjKSjhcx8 - Zoom link will be shared to registered participants on 29/June
- Link to register to info session:
APPLY HERE BY 3/AUGUST (23:59 CEST/Brussels time)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- For additional information, write to:
movida.dance.eu [at] gmail.com - https://movida.dance/news/call-labs/
FAQ
Eligibility
- Can I apply as a solo artist?
- No, you must apply as a duo
- We are students. Can we apply?
- Yes, but bear in mind that you should have a strong portfolio of work in your field (see Selection Criteria).
- Can we apply with our existing project?
- If the project builds upon a previous one, you will need to provide a clarification of the development and iteration in your proposal.
Other Topics
- If we require high-end PCs to make AI computations, etc. Do we get such hardware from you or do we have to provide our machines powerful enough for our work?
- In principle, you should bring your own computer(s). But if that is not possible, you should use your production budget to rent adequate computers.
- Are we meeting with other participants from other Labs?
- Yes, you will meet them at a networking event. In between, there are dedicated communication channels open (email, Discord, social media, etc).
- Can you provide some references of best practices regarding sustainability for our proposal?
— Image info: Dancer jumping over a video projection on the floor with numbers and graphics. The audience is sitting in the background. Gaitless project (from MODINA). Photo by Claudiu Popescu