Through a two-year program of rehearsals and creative workshops with renowned choreographers and art professionals, from Greece and abroad, participants will have the opportunity to develop their synthetic skills and create their own site-specific choreography, presenting it to the general public in 2023, as part of the programme of Eleusis 2023 European Capital of Culture. The application period starts on July 28 and ends on August 22, 2021. 

The Moving Europe program by Eleusis 2023 is focused on youth and dance, creating a dialogue between Greek and foreign artists. The aim of the program is to create a distinctly unique activity in the field of dance, cultivating a field of dance art that is not developed in Greece, to support the creation of new and emerging choreographers and to cultivate a new audience for dance, centered in the city of Elefsina. 

The idea

The lack of possibilities for the academic training of choreographers in Greece, was the trigger for the need to fill this gap, creating a type of Academy that would provide knowledge and creative experience on this art form. With this in mind, the main goal of the U(R)TOPIAS Academy of Choreography action is to start a collaboration with early-career professional choreographers, who are interested in cultivating their skills in the field of composition and choreography. Each choreographer will be invited to come up with a personal ideal, and present it as a work of art. The aim is to showcase the emblematic sites of Elefsina through the site-specific work of choreographers, creating a new map of the city of Elefsina. Through their participation in the academy, they will be able to develop their synthetic skills and shape their own creative approaches, under the guidance of distinguished creators and art professionals, art historians, theorists, as well as producers. 

The theme of U(R)TOPIAS as the common “place” of the project.

The European Capital of Culture can be a great opportunity to rethink Europe as a utopia. What happens if we treat Europe as a region “without place” (from the Greek: ου=not + τόπος=place)? That is, as a place where there is no discrimination or inequality. This turn can be crucial for Europe and could once again create a common utopia for European citizens. The academy is here to reopen the dialogue about this utopia.

The Academy’s name is inspired by the word “Utopia,” which is defined as the ideal place to live. The term was coined from ancient Greek, where “οὐ” stands for “not” and “τόπος” stands for place. Joined, the two words compose “utopia,” i.e., the place that doesn’t exist. The Academy of Choreography is here to redefine this place, with the main goal of establishing today’s utopia, through the knowledge of the past. Utopia transforms to U(R)TOPIAS, self-defining its existence through the Anglo-Saxon prefix “ur,” which means ancient, primitive, original and lending this name to the entire project. As a new manifesto, U(R)TOPIAS is presented in Elefsina, a city with a rich history and heritage, introducing the art of choreography to the public. 

Very good knowledge of English is considered necessary for participation in the program. 

Application Information 

Applications for participation in the program must be submitted in the period between 28/07/2021 and 22/08/2021 (time: 23.59) via the electronic platform.

Other information here.