A couple of weeks back we told you about the Spark project that we are part of 2019-2020. During the project, the three festivals BewegGrund – Das Festival, Oriente Occidente Dance Festival and CODA Oslo International Dance Festival will each invite disabled performing artists to take part of the festivals. We will also present artistic labs.
Next week, September 4-8, the first of two Spark Labs will take place in Rovereto, Italy. The second lab takes place in Region Västra Götaland during Autumn 2020. The lab in Rovereto focuses on dramaturgy and gathers dancers from seven European countries under the direction of dramaturge Roberto Fratini Serafide.
We asked Spinn’s Artistic Director Veera Suvalo Grimberg to share some of her thoughts on working in this sort of international context.
“Lab Sweden in Axevalla and Gothenburg. Moving Beyond Inclusion Lab in Uddevalla and Rovereto. And now Spark Lab in Rovereto. Spinn likes the lab format because it means openness and possibilities. Dancers, choreographers and producers meet, both on the floor and outside of it. Spinn are now once again going to Rovereto. This time, several of our dancers are new, and I have a feeling this trip will be a big experience for them.
During five days the group, that consists of dancers and choreographers from seven European countries, will immerse themselves in the topic dramaturgy. The dance festival Oriente Occidente takes time during the lab, and the performances will prove a fertile ground for reflection. The work is lead by Roberto Fratini Serafide, dramaturge and professor at Institut del Teatre in Barcelona. There will be talks and analyzes about artistic choices, what effects and what entry points working with dramaturgy can provide.
On a personal note I’m looking forward to continuing the dialogue in the network that was born during the Creative Europe project Moving Beyond Inclusion that we were part of 2016-2018. Like then, this lab also gathers administrative staff, producers and artistic directors. Valuable contacts have been built up during the years, and the project has meant a great deal for Spinn’s development. Together with Producentbyrån we’ll continue learning more about international collaborations and witness how our organization is strengthened and how it grows through Spark.“
– Veera Suvalo Grimberg, Artistic Director Danskompaniet Spinn
