The Creative Exchange Project
The Creative Exchange Project (CEP) promotes meaningful exchange among artists and presenters based in different Canadian communities. The project offers artists a unique opportunity to perform outside of their home community, while also participating in an artistic exchange with their peers. As a secondary goal, the project promotes community animation.
The CEP generally involves three CanDance presenters from different cities or communities working in partnership. The presenters' own communities are the "home base" for Exchange Projects, however presenters are welcome to extend Exchange Project activities into communities that may not have a CanDance member (e.g. Edmonton reaching out to Red Deer, or Vancouver reaching out to Kelowna).
The CEP supports animation activities and performances in each of the presenters’ communities. Each presenter contributes $5,500 towards the project, and their total contribution is matched by CanDance. The annual deadline for presenters’ applications is set following the CanDance Annual Networking Meeting. The presenters select artists or groups of artists to participate in some form of artistic exchange. Essentially, artist(s) from a community travel to another community or two, to present work and lead outreach activities. In the past, some CEP’s have involved the traveling artists presenting finished pieces, while others have seen traveling choreographers setting a piece on local dancers and/or the public. Presenters who are members in good standing of The CanDance Network may apply for matching funds to support a Creative Exchange Project.
The CEP generally involves three CanDance presenters from different cities or communities working in partnership. The presenters' own communities are the "home base" for Exchange Projects, however presenters are welcome to extend Exchange Project activities into communities that may not have a CanDance member (e.g. Edmonton reaching out to Red Deer, or Vancouver reaching out to Kelowna).
The CEP supports animation activities and performances in each of the presenters’ communities. Each presenter contributes $5,500 towards the project, and their total contribution is matched by CanDance. The annual deadline for presenters’ applications is set following the CanDance Annual Networking Meeting. The presenters select artists or groups of artists to participate in some form of artistic exchange. Essentially, artist(s) from a community travel to another community or two, to present work and lead outreach activities. In the past, some CEP’s have involved the traveling artists presenting finished pieces, while others have seen traveling choreographers setting a piece on local dancers and/or the public. Presenters who are members in good standing of The CanDance Network may apply for matching funds to support a Creative Exchange Project.
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Example 1: The Prairie Dance Circuit
Prairie presenters New Dance Horizons (Regina), Springboard Performance (Calgary), and the Brian Webb Dance Company (Edmonton) have partnered on several projects, with a mandate to present prairie artists while developing audiences in less served communities. Their 2014-15 CEP brought Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers and choreographer Ming Hon to perform in each presenter’s festival/series. Dancers also led workshops and artists talks for dance professionals, students, and audiences in each city. Example 2: Incandescent Dusk Dances (Toronto), Dancing on the Edge (Vancouver), and Public Energy (Peterborough) partnered to present a community-based, outdoor work under the umbrella of each of the presenter’s festival/season. Presenters invited residents from their local communities to participate in public workshops, in preparation for performing Incandescent, a 10-minute outdoor work by choreographers Kate Franklin and Meredith Thompson. Incandescent involved 6-7 professional dancers, working alongside a large, volunteer cast of movers of all ages & experience levels. All performers were drawn from each home community. Example 3: 3x3x3 Presenters La Rotonde (Quebec City), Live Art Dance (Halifax), and Tangente (Montreal) partnered to present three artists from three cities, on a shared program. Presenters chose artists Jacinte Armstrong (Halifax), Maryse Damecour (Quebec City), and Dorian Nuskind-Oder (Montreal) for the project, as they saw these emerging artists creating work that merited being seen in wider circles. Presenters saw this exchange as an opportunity to enrich their local dance communities by offering professional development experiences, opportunities for local artists to be seen, and opportunities for audiences to experience the work of out of town artists. Selection Process: The CanDance Board will select one successful project per year. In the event that a board member is also participating in a project, s/he will not be involved in the selection process. Following the project, the presenters and artists who participated complete a feedback report.
Application Guidelines:Click here to open the CEP Application Guidelines.
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Frequently Asked Questions:Q: Can an artist apply to CanDance for a Creative Exchange
Project?
A: While only presenters may apply for a CEP, artists are welcome to propose CEP ideas to their local CanDance member(s). If you are not sure which presenters from your community are CanDance members, please see our membership list. Q: Is the Creative Exchange Project a residency program? A: No. The CEP is an artistic exchange, which involves artists travelling to one or two different communities for a short time, for performances and outreach activities. Q: Is the Creative Exchange Project a commissioning program? A: No. The budget does not support the creation of new work. Q: What is the deadline for CEP proposals? A: The annual deadline is set following the CanDance Annual Networking Meeting. Q: What is covered in the project budget? A: While each project is unique, here is what artists have received in a CEP:
Q: What is the selection process for CEP proposals? A: Proposals are evaluated on how well they meet the program guidelines:
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