DRIFT – DANCE & RESEARCH IN THE FUTURE TIME (January 2026 – December 2029)
DRIFT is a major European project led by Théâtre de Liège and Maison de la Danse, supporting a new generation of choreographers in developing their artistic practice at European and international levels.
With a budget of €3.5 million co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme, DRIFT aims to address several key challenges facing the dance sector: the still-fragmented support available for artistic research, limited access to transdisciplinary exchanges, and a lack of continuity between the phases of experimentation, production and dissemination.
Through a programme combining laboratories, research residencies, public presentations, co-productions and international touring, the project establishes a comprehensive framework enabling artists to develop their choreographic language while strengthening their production capacities and integration into sustainable professional networks.
Building on an international network of partners—including festivals, institutions and platforms—DRIFT also contributes to strengthening the role of festivals as spaces for artistic incubation, circulation and networking.
The project brings together an international consortium of 10 partners:
- Théâtre de Liège (Belgium – Lead Partner)
- Maison de la Danse – Lyon (France)
- Onassis Stegi (Greece)
- Bergen Internasjonale Teater – Bergen (Norway)
- HAU / Tanz im August – Berlin (Germany)
- Al Badil – Tunis (Tunisia)
- Mercat de les Flors / Graner – Barcelona (Spain)
- Materiais Diversos – Lisbon (Portugal)
- Short Theatre – Rome (Italy)
- Ukrainian Association Contemporary Dance Platform (Ukraine)
And 3 Associated Partners:
- Red Brickhouse – Yokohama (Japan)
- Festival Panorama – Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
- Festival Kinani – Maputo (Mozambique)
Project Objectives
- Support 20 choreographers through research programmes, mentoring and professional networking opportunities;
- Support the co-production and international dissemination of 10 choreographic works;
- Strengthen the curatorial and hosting capacities of partner festivals;
- Build a dynamic European ecosystem for contemporary dance, bridging emerging artists’ networks and international presentation platforms.
Selected Artists – First Wave
- Daria Hordiichuk (Ukraine)
- Ole Martin Meland (Norway)
- Malika Djardi (France)
- Sheena McGrandles (Germany)
- Christiana Kosiari (Greece)
- Paloma Muñoz (Spain)
- Piny (Portugal)
- Miranda Secondari (Italy)
- Guilhem Chatir (Belgium)
- Moayed Elghazouani (Tunisia)
Selected Artists – Second Wave
- Svitlana Oleksiuk (Ukraine)
- Roza Moshtaghi (Norway)
- Ana Pi (France)
- Elvan Tekin (Germany)
- Ioanna Paraskevopoulou (Greece)
- Yinka Esi Graves (Spain)
- Gaya de Medeiros (Portugal)
- Sorelle di Damiano – Simona Tedeschini / Sofia Pazzocco (Italy)
- Mercedes Dassy (Belgium)
- Oumaima Manai (Tunisia)
