Open Call: Apply to become an Aerowaves artist
Each year the Aerowaves network selects 20 of the most promising emerging choreographers in Europe. Aerowaves promotes their work for a year, creating opportunities to perform with their partners.
How to Apply
The application period to submit works to become a Twenty25 artist opens on 8 May 2025.
Make sure you apply before 31 July 2024, at 5 pm CEST.
Please, read this page thoroughly, if you have further questions, please contact info@aerowaves.org.
What happens next?
All eligible applications are reviewed before the end of October. A selection of Aerowaves Twenty artists will be finalised in the two weeks following the decisions of the Aerowaves Partners meeting and the successful candidates will be notified by email.
Why Apply to Aerowaves?
Reach a network
Everyone who applies to Aerowaves has the chance to have their work programmed by the partners of the network, whether or not they are selected as Aerowaves artists. Around 100 performance opportunities are guaranteed by the partners and supported by Aerowaves each year.
Exposure for your work
Should you be selected as one of the Aerowaves Twenty, your work will be promoted by Aerowaves via its website for one year by an artist profile, with images, video and press coverage all in one place.
Promotional Opportunities
As one of the Aerowaves Twenty, you will be able to announce your forthcoming performances in the Aerowaves calendar and we will share this through our networks and social media.
Spring Forward
You may be selected to perform your work at our Spring Forward Festival.
If at first…
If you are not selected in one year, it is worth applying again (with a different work) in subsequent years. This can help to build recognition and understanding for your work, especially if you are a very new choreographer.
Eligibility Criteria
- You must be resident in geographical Europe to apply. The European continent stretches from the Algarve in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east, from the north of Lapland to the southern islands of the Mediterranean. Note: Aerowaves is funded by Creative Europe, a programme of the European Union Commission, but welcomes artists and productions from all across Europe regardless of nationality including the UK. Due to the exceptional situation caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Aerowaves partners have decided to not accept applications of works made in Russia and Belarus.
- You may apply with only one work per year.
- The work you are submitting must have been produced in geographical Europe.
- Aerowaves is a platform for short works – your work must be 15-40 minutes in length.
- Your work must be finished and have been presented to the public, works in progress are not accepted.
- You may not apply with the same work more than once, so previous applications whether successful or unsuccessful may not be submitted again.
- Your work should be easily included in a double or triple bill and have simple technical requirements.
- Works created for public / non-conventional spaces and outdoors are welcome.
- You may not apply if you are currently completing a professional dance training (MA, BA etc). Works created during a training course are eligible but only if the choreographer has completed the course and if work has subsequently been presented in a professional capacity.
- You must fill in the Aerowaves application form correctly, upload your video to Vimeo, providing us with the link and the password if necessary, and enabling ‘download’ in the settings so we can download it (please note we do not accept files over 2GB). You should also include a description of the work and a biography in the description box (in English and ready to be published – each text must be up to 100 words). Please also include these two texts in the notes section of the application form. If you don’t have a Vimeo Plus account, please read the instructions under ‘Providing your video on Vimeo’.
- For the presentation of a work at Spring Forward, a fee is paid, plus expenses including travel, hotel and a per diem / hospitality for each team member.
- Artists can only be presented in Spring Forward a maximum of two times, after that you may no longer apply to Aerowaves.
- If you are offered performances by our partners, you are responsible for negotiating the conditions.
For further queries, please contact us at info@aerowaves.org
Selection Criteria
These criteria have guided the decision making of the Partners for the last 26 years:
- These criteria have guided the decision making of the Partners for the last 27 years.
- The work is propelled by a good idea
- Choreographed with an originality motivated by this idea
- Which has the confidence to omit the superfluous
- With a clear and sturdy structure
- Danced with clarity, verve, commitment and assurance
- That will look good presented under limited technical conditions
- From a company that has not toured much abroad
- But whose experience might be enriched through Aerowaves
- And that will have a future
Application Tips
- Read the eligibility criteria thoroughly before putting your application together
- Get your application in as early as possible
- Make sure the credits and the two texts (Description of the work and Biography) are written clearly and concisely in English.
- Give yourself plenty of time to upload your video to Vimeo – technical hitches cause stress, especially at the last minute!
- Make sure the video of the work you are submitting is of the highest possible quality and correct length
- If you are performing the work you are submitting, before the Aerowaves Annual Meeting (20 – 23 October 2024), let your national Aerowaves representatives know, they will try to attend.
Providing your Video on Vimeo
- Please upload your video to Vimeo (preferably in HD) and include the link in your application form. If you have a Vimeo Plus account please enable ‘download’ in the settings so we can download it. If you don’t then upload a version to Vimeo that is less than 500MB (to avoid paying a subscription), and send a bigger file (if available) via a service like We Transfer, to info@aerowaves.org. The ideal dimensions are 1920 x 1080 in HD, but please keep your file under 2GB – larger files will not be accepted. There must be a version of the work online, and we must also have a copy on file. We also accept YouTube links provided a copy of the file is also sent.
- Use the privacy settings if you do not wish it to be public, but include the password in your application form.
- Please include a 100 word biography and a 100 word description about the work in the description box of your Vimeo upload. Please include all credits. We use your Vimeo links to share with Aerowaves Partners before our Annual Meeting in October so they can do their homework!
Tips for Making Your Video
Since our selection process is assisted by watching a video recording, it’s really important that you think about how your work will come across.
- The video should be a fairly simple record of a public performance of the work from beginning to end
If you are applying with an edited version of a longer work, the video you provide must be of the shortened version. This version must be available for performance
It should include close-ups and wide shots – think about how best to represent the work in terms of details / angles / capturing the scale - Promotional videos are not acceptable, nor are videos of any work other than the one with which you are applying to Aerowaves
- Please try and keep the size of the file to under 2GB
Tips for Writing your texts
Bear in mind the text you will provide will also reflect your work. Thus, make sure you write clearly and concisely in English and that each text is no longer than 100 words. Make sure all these texts are suitable to be published.
- Your work’s Description must be a marketing copy, which – in case your work is selected – will be used on the website and the programme notes.
- Your Biography must reflect your career trajectory.
- You may find further communication tips on 360 Communicating Dance.
- A good quality copy will always help to put your work and your career trajectory in context and make it more attractive.
After you Apply
- After you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation email (this is not automated so it will take a few days)
- All eligible applications will be reviewed at the annual Aerowaves Partner meeting at the end of October
- A selection of Aerowaves Twenty artists will be finalised by a vote in the week following the Aerowaves Partner meeting
- Selected candidates will be notified by email and the Aerowaves Twenty will be published online
- If you are selected as one of the Aerowaves Twenty you will be programmed in Spring Forward, and may be offered performance invitations by our Partners.
- Unfortunately, due to the volume of applicants, we cannot offer individual feedback on the works submitted
