Flemish and Basque companies participate in Binded Bodies residency programme

Post date
06.07.2023

In BINDED BODIES, 6 partners from Flanders and the Basque Country join forces to establish professional ties between the two regions. The international cooperation project consists of three pillars:

  1. supporting creation in another region 
  2. facilitating possible synergies and  
  3. the exchange of knowledge

More specifically, the project consists of 3 phases:

  • WELCOME: At CIRKL festival, Artekale and Zirkozaurre gave insight into the Basque circus and street arts landscape. Two weeks later, Circuscentrum and Circ'uit attended Umore Azoka, the largest street arts festival in the Basque Country to present the Flemish ecosystem. Circ'uit presented the network for outdoor circus in Belgium. During both festivals the call for the Binded Bodies residency programme was launched. The residencies in the framework of the Binded Bodies project are focused on non-textual performances, on artistic practices in which the body is central, on artistic practices that have an affinity with street arts and/or circus arts

  • SUPPORT/EUSKARRI: Together with Zirkozaurre and Korrala on the Basque side and Cirklabo and Ell Circo D'ell Fuego on the Flemish side, the partnership sets up a region and cross-border residency exchange that provides space for four Flemish and Basque companies to work and create in a new region while building a new professional network. On June 1, the Binded Bodies selection committee formed by the Flemish and Basque juries met and selected four projects to participate in SUPPORT/EUSKARRI. A total of 11 project proposals were submitted: 6 from the Basque Country and 5 from Flanders/Brussels. The projects were evaluated taking into account that text is not central to the project, that the artistic practice is based on the body, and that the project has affinity with street or circus arts. The committee took into account the connection of the project proposal with the host residency spaces and whether the exchange would benefit networking opportunities for the artists. The following companies were selected and will participate in the residency program in fall 2023:

    • ALICIA RECHAC with LAST TRIGGER, hosted by ELL CIRCO D'ELL FUEGO from 29 october till 2 November 2023 
    • XANDRA GUTIERREZ ARTECHE (Company NiMú) with PAUSA  hosted by CIRKLABO from 10 till 17 November 2023 
    • SVEN VERELST  (Company Sfenson) with OPEN MIKE hosted by KORRALA SORMEN GUNEA from 15 till 22 December 2023
    • JAKOBE GEENS (Company Gedachtegang) with ORGANIEK MECHANIEK hosted by ZIRKOZAURRE from 1 to 5 April 2024

  • JOBSHADOWING:  the final phase of the project follows in october 2023. In this phase, a selected participant from each region can visit a neighboring partner's structure to collaborate, learn and share for a week. Stay tuned!

The project was created within the framework of cultural cooperation between Flanders and the Basque Country and is being implemented with the support of the Flemish government and the Basque government. Artekale and Circuscentrum, as sector organizations in each region, are committed to promoting and disseminating the calls.