Vancouver International Dance Festival puts out open call for 2021 livestream event
Full-length works receive residencies, four-camera crew, and more
Kokoro Dance and Inkboat at past VIDF events, Photos by Chris Randle
The Vancouver International Dance Festival is now accepting applications for the 2021 event. The deadline is November 21 and more information is here.
The 21st edition of thefest is focused on supporting the practice and visibility of diverse Canadian contemporary dance artists and companies through professional livestream presentations.
VIDF, as an international performing arts presenter, recognizes the significant risk in approaching its activities as it has in the past, both in terms of audience, technician and artist exposure to COVID-19 and in financial losses from venue and border closures andaudience reluctance to return to venues. It’s time to adapt. Dancers are amongst the lowest-income artists, and their already precarious means of livelihood and creative expression has been, for the most part, halted. Not all artistic approaches adapt seamlessly to the camera, or to solo or distanced forms. With the “return to normal” timeframe unclear and indefinite, the Vancouver dance community needs support. With equity-seeking individuals disproportionately affected by the pandemic and its fallout, VIDF’s priority to support equity-seeking dance artists is more relevant than ever.
Furthermore, while dance artists are struggling to salvage their craft, the undeniable stress of the pandemic has left the public with even greater need for the beauty, inspiration and communion dance can offer.
The VIDF programs work that advances the art of contemporary dance through innovation, experimentation, rigor, and physical discipline.
The fest is putting out an open call for full-evening works (45-60 minutes) that can be creatively re-imagined for the camera. Performances will be captured and streamed with multiple cameras switched live, offering a unique, cinematic perspective of each choreography.
The VIDF will select 10 Vancouver dance artists to present in 2021 and will ensure five or more of these artists are equity-seeking. The VIDF will grant these artists a one week residency, two technical rehearsal days with a 4-camera crew, professional fees for four livestream performances, exposure to international dance presenters, and royalty revenue if they choose to include a recording of their work in our online video gallery.
All livestream performances will be free to the public, while recordings will be available though paid subscription.
The VIDF takes place annually in March. For this upcoming year, the fest will concentrate programming in March, as well as expanding it to include additional live stream presentation spread throughout the year.
This post was sponsored by VIDF