On a black background, round-edged squares in varying sizes display icons and images in a collage. Arranged around the image in a neat grid, there are four photos of dance artists from the UK and from Italy. The photos sit alongside smaller graphic icons showing the maps of Italy and the UK, outlines of disabled people and dancers, and a megaphone, these graphics are coloured white, orange and black.

On a black background, round-edged squares in varying sizes display icons and images in a collage. Arranged around the image in a neat grid, there are four photos of dance artists from the UK and from Italy. The photos sit alongside smaller graphic icons showing the maps of Italy and the UK, outlines of disabled people and dancers, and a megaphone, these graphics are coloured white, orange and black.

Open Dialogo was commissioned by Arts Council England, the Italian Ministry of Culture (The Performing Arts department), the Italian Cultural Institute of London and the British Council, to promote a bilateral cultural exchange through sharing of knowledge and experiences between disabled and non-disabled artists and influencers working in England and Italy.

The project is managed by Stopgap Dance Company, and it began with a set of free webinar series in May. The next phase of the project is for dance organisations in England and Italy to host artist residencies for D/deaf and disabled dance artists from the opposite country

These residencies will take place in September and October this year to facilitate exchange between D/deaf and disabled artists and dance organisations in England and Italy, so as to deepen relationships and shared understanding about dance, disability and creative processes between the two countries.

The artists and dance organisations were selected by a panel for the residency consisting of Jo Royce from Arts Council England, Alison Driver from British Council in Italy, and the independent dance artist Krystal Lowe, who is based in Wales. Their recommendations were approved by the project board consisting of representatives from the funder organisations of Open Dialogo.

  • “Open Dialogo supports the British Council’s vision of a more inclusive and better-connected arts sector. Disabled artists have an opportunity to develop their international profile, expertise and networks while host venues can benefit by gaining a new understanding of international practices in dance.”

  • “La Direzione Generale Spettacolo has long ensured and fostered a constant dialogue between Italian and foreign cultural institutions and representative performing arts organisations. Following the success of another disability arts project Europe Beyond Access, we recognise that these residencies can be places of creation that offer these artists a unique experience of discovery and artistic growth. We are pleased to support opportunities for greater collaboration between England and Italy through Open Dialogue by offering international residencies for disabled artists. This project is a key opportunity to develop new synergies on the evolution of dance and disability.”

  • “We are excited to announce this programme, which will give disabled dance artists more opportunities to develop their skills and build relationships with other artists, cultural organisations and audiences. It is made possible thanks to our partners at the British Council, Italian Cultural Institute and Italian Ministry of Culture, and we are delighted to continue working with them to strengthen the ties between the UK and Italian cultural sectors."

  • “On behalf of the Italian Cultural Institute in London, I am delighted to support the project Open Dialogo. Open Dialogo is designed to create a more inclusive dance community, where artists from the United Kingdom and Italy can work together, sharing experiences, professional practice, and international approaches. I am genuinely excited that these Artist Residencies will open our eyes further to bias-free exchanges, breaking down the unseen walls between comparable performing practices and cultures. Thanks to Arts Council England, the Italian Ministry of Culture (Performing Arts Department), the British Council, and Stopgap Dance Company for this extremely timely and mutually enriching collaboration.”

Selected Artists and Organisations

  • “I am very delighted about being awarded the Open Dialogo residency. It will offer me the possibility to strengthen my position as a leader with a disability, and to start conversations around dance and disability with English dance organisations like Northern School of Contemporary Dance.”

  • “Travel has always nourished me; I have made and shown images and written works set in places where English is not the dominant language. However, this residency represents the first formal opportunity to work collaboratively with artists outside of the UK. For a Deaf writer and artist obsessed with language and physicality, it’s a grand possibility.”

  • “I am looking forward to doing further development on my work Human Inhuman Posthuman (Sensitive Geosophies) at DanceEast. In this work, I will pursue the awakening of deep and connatural intelligences, intuitive forms of knowledge, so that we can overcome antagonistic binary thinking, and experience a broadening of cultural horizons. The possibility of a 'fully-rounded' human can be reached through art that produces new instances and new territories to explore.”

  • “Open Dialogo is a great opportunity for emerging artists like me. I first presented my work Reflections at Resolution at The Place last year, and I’m excited about being able to carry on developing the work in Italy. The artist residency will give me the chance to share my story with new audiences and hear their thoughts about my work.”

Host organisations

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