OPEN CALL: PERFORMA-Q RESIDENCY CYCLE 1
Stage for Untold and Erased Queer Stories from Europe’s Periphery
About the Call
PERFORMA-Q (Stage for Untold and Erased Queer Stories from Europe’s Periphery) is launching the project’s first an Open Call for in total 18 artistic residencies in 3 years.
1. The Vision: Free to Create, Create to be Free
Art is not merely a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it. PERFORMA-Q is a transnational platform designed to surface erased queer stories through 18 partner-run residencies across three years. We are seeking performing artists, directors, playwrights, and collectives whose work explores the intersection of queer identity, marginalization, and peripheral European narratives.
Think of this residency not just as a laboratory, but as a dramaturgical incubator—a safe hub where fragile, untold narratives are given the resources, mentorship, and transnational oxygen they need to breathe, grow, and resonate across borders. We aim to shift queer performative art from the margins to the very center of the European cultural discourse.
2. What We Offer: The Residency Ecosystem
For this first cycle, we are selecting six artists or collectives. We understand that queer artistic processes require flexibility, so we offer a tailored framework:
– Duration: Residencies will run for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of one month.
– Tailored Financial Support: The financial support for selected artists and collectives ranges from €1,500 to €4,000. However, the final stipend is not a flat rate—it directly depends on the complexity, scale, and logistical demands of the submitted project proposal. The exact amount and conditions will be agreed upon individually and flexibly in direct dialogue with the specific host residency space after the successful conclusion of the selection process.
(Please note: This stipend is executed as a re-grant or subcontract)
– Logistics: Travel and accommodation are covered and managed as separate budget lines from your stipend.
– Mentorship & Infrastructure: You will receive dedicated rehearsal space, technical support and tailored 1:1 mentorship developed in collaboration between your host and at least one other consortium partner.
– „Deep Touring“ & Showcases & Networking: The culmination of your work will not sit in a vacuum. Selected works will circulate via a „deep touring“ strategy, prioritizing compact formats. Works will have the opportunity to be presented at major events like the Drama Queer Festival in Bratislava and Stockholm Pride, as well as smaller regional showcases in Vienna, Brno, Sarajevo, and hopefully Kyiv.
3. Eligibility & Application Categories
We welcome applications from emerging or established professionals in the performing arts (theater, dance, performance art, performative writing). You may apply as an individual or as a collective (capped at a maximum of eight individuals, strictly dependent on the host’s accommodation size).
To ensure focused dramaturgical development, the call features two primary eligibility categories:
– Category A: Text-Only (Research & Playwriting): For artists requiring dedicated time for writing and conceptual research.
(Analogy: You are drafting the architectural blueprint.) For these works, if the outcome is a dramatic text, host organizations will assume stage copyrights and take responsibility for local production.
– Category B: Production-Based: For artists actively devising, rehearsing, or finalizing a performative work.
(Analogy: You are building the house.)
A Note on Language & Accessibility: While the working language of the transnational network is English, applications are accepted in both English and national languages. Final performances may also be in local languages, supported by strict subtitling and translation strategies for our final showcases.
Special Note Regarding Ukraine: Due to the ongoing war and the displacement of our partner UCPE (Mariupol Theatre in Exile), no artists will be sent to Kyiv. Instead, artists working with UCPE will be hosted in alternative partner locations or through specialized dispersed formats to ensure absolute safety.
4. How to Apply
To prevent vague entries and streamline the pre-selection process, all submissions will be collected via a structured Google Form. You will be required to submit:
1. Collective/Individual CV & Portfolio: Maximum 3 pages, or a link to a digital portfolio.
2. Project Proposal: A maximum two-page concept detailing your vision, its connection to the PERFORMA-Q theme, and your residency goals.
If applying for Category A (Text-Only), please attach a one page description and a representative text excerpt (scene) up to 6 pages.
3. Residency Preferences & Curatorial Matchmaking: Within the application form, you may select your most preferred residency location and partner organization.
(However, we ask for your openness and flexibility: please bear in mind that the Artistic Board may offer you a different residency location than your preferred one.)
4. AI Disclosure: Applicants must disclose the use of AI in their creative process. This will absolutely not disqualify your application; rather, structured AI-use notes will simply be provided to the board for context.
Applications can be submitted until 31 July 2026 via Google Form.
5. Evaluation & Selection Criteria
Your application will be read by an Artistic Board consisting of two theatrical experts representatives per partner organization:
Bernhard Studlar, Martina Knoll (WIENER WORTSTAETTEN)
Róbert Pakan, Sandra Polovková (NOMANITELS)
Maja Burazerović, Ishak Jalimam (SARTR)
Alexandra Horoščák Bolfová, Klaudia Klembarová (CO.LABS)
Ulricha Johnson, Malin Tengvard (SPAC)
Evangelos Kosmidis, Mariia Boiko (UCPE)
We use a scorecard-based jury system with overlapping readings (a minimum of two reviewers per application, with a third acting as a tie-breaker).
The jury will evaluate based on the following weighted criteria:
– Intersectionality & Representation (30%): Does the proposal highlight voices from multiple marginalized backgrounds (e.g., queer artists from conflict zones, ethnic minorities, or heavily marginalized peripheral areas)?
– Artistic Quality & Innovation (30%): Does the work push aesthetic or narrative boundaries? Is the vision clear?
– Relevance to the Theme (20%): How effectively does the project engage with uncovering „untold and erased“ queer stories?
– Feasibility & Transnational Potential (20%): Can this be realized within the budget and timeframe? We prioritize the „travelability“ of formats across our partner countries.
6. Timeline
– Call Launch: Early June 2026
– Application Deadline: July 31, 2026
– Selection & Review Phase: August 2026
– Shortlist Contacted: September 2026
– Public Announcement of Winners: September 30, 2026
Partnerorganisationen / Residency-Hosts:
NOMANTINELS Divadlo Nomantinels, SK
SPAC Swedish Performing Arts Coalition, SE
SARTR Sarajevski Ratni Teatar, BIH
co.labs Kulturní centrum CO.LABS, CZ
UCPE Mairupol Theatre of Ukraine in Exile, UKR
WIENER WORTSTAETTEN Wiener Wortstaetten, AT
