PACAP 9 2026

About the Open Call

PACAP 9 / One swallow doesn’t make a summer, curated by Marcelo Evelin with artistic collaboration from Bruno Moreno, is an undisciplined experimentation and training programme, focused on instances of group creation and conditions of collaborative performativity. It invests in collective processes over individual projects, believing in integrating artists' singularities into group experimentation. The programme proposes a series of interventions as creative residencies from February to July 2026, involving artists in collective practices that explore the common as a choreographic situation (game, rite, circle, party). These practices will be reworked and performed throughout the programme. The curriculum addresses three axes without distinguishing theory and practice: body, dramaturgy, and choreography. It aims to approach the multiple, rhizomatic, diverse, and unfolded from a decolonial and non-hegemonic understanding, reaffirming the sensible and utopian in social and political spheres. Invited guests include Ana Rita Teodoro, André Lepecki, Christine Greiner, Coletivo Piscina (Andrei Bessa, Bibi Dória, Bruno Brandolino, Josefa Pereira, Julien Pacomio, Márcia Lança and Romain Teulle), Eleonora Fabião, Jocelyn Cottencin, Marine Sigaut, Miguel Pereira, Piny, and Tieta Macau, among others. The official language is English, but applications can be sent in Portuguese and English. The programme runs from February 2, 2026, to July 31, 2026, Monday to Friday from 10h00 to 17h00, though the timetable is indicative. Auditions will be in September 2025, and results announced in September 2025.

What is Offered

The programme offers advanced training in performing arts with a focus on collaborative creation, creative residencies, and mentorship from renowned artists. Participants will engage in collective processes, exploring body, dramaturgy, and choreography. Scholarships are available, offering 50% or 100% reduction of tuition fees, with specific scholarships for artists from Portuguese Speaking African Countries or black artists living in Portugal, and up to 75% reduction for GDA members residing in Portugal.

Requirements

Artists with experience in the performing arts fields, interested in collective creation processes. Valued qualities include collaborative practices, ability to listen and negotiate in groups, and openness to joint experimentation. It is not for individual authorial projects, but for those who want to integrate and contribute to a context of shared creation. Specific application materials include a 3-5 minute video telling a true story about someone else, a description of an invented show/performance/choreography without budget limits, names of 3 important reference works by artists, a brief CV, a photo, a portfolio, and a brief motivation letter. Links must provide direct online viewing.

How to Apply

Applicants must fill in the application form on the Forum Dança website and send: a 3-5 minute video telling a true story about someone else as if it were their own; a detailed description of an invented show, performance, or group choreography without budget limits; names of 3 important reference works by artists from any artistic language or period; a brief CV, a photo, and a portfolio; and a brief motivation letter. Links provided must ensure direct access to online viewing (Youtube, Vimeo, etc.). The selection process includes an application stage via the Forum Dança website form, followed by an audition stage. Auditions can be held in person at Espaço da Penha or online via Zoom for applicants outside Europe. All fields are mandatory. Applications and documentation can be sent in Portuguese and English.