Umkreisungen– Orbiting

1 Research residency with a focus on choreography-based, process-oriented and/or participatory work in exchange with neighborhoods and urban society.

 

FOR WHOM:

Berlin-based choreographers/dancers
Two to three dancers/choreographers initiate the basic idea for the residency in collaboration with partners from other fields.

TIMEFRAME:

July/August 2026 or November/December 2026 (exact dates tbd). Please indicate your preferred time period when applying.

 

DEADLINE:

The application deadline is 22.03.2026. The decision will be communicated by the end of April.

 

WHAT:

The residency program ORBITING calls for establishing cross-connections to urban society and activating the architectural space of the Heizhaus and its surroundings for shared experiences - be it people, initiatives, nature or things, past-present-future. It uses the special architecture and topography of the Heizhaus for establishing a space of gatherings under altered time-regimes. References to and collaboration with non-artistic fields or disciplines and/or the collaboration with “othered” communities – at best in a local context – are mandatory as a central component of the work.

The residency is aimed at Berlin dancers and choreographers in close collaboration with partner initiatives, neighborhood organisations, socio-political groups envisioning a shared research space under the motto "unlikely encounters". The focus is on new formats of exchange and joint process development and investigates choreographic procedures that activate social openness and commitment. In terms of social choreography the residency imagines communities through the body, analyses society through choreography or uses choreographed bodies and movements to question rules, norms and images of our living together. It gives space to spend time differently with partner initiatives, groups (communities), exchange on different fields of knowledge, find new questions, initiate processes together and experiment wildly. This can include joint workshops, installations with shared happenings, lectures, get-togethers, research practices, formats of experimentation and play, the investigation of rituals and counter-rituals or anything else that is conceivable.

2-3 dancers/choreographers initiate the basic idea of the residency, in collaboration with partners from other fields. Potential or established connections and, if applicable, associated partners should be named in the application and already be involved at the time of application. The topic of residency is open.

 

THE RESIDENCY OFFERS:

• Monthly stipend of 2000€ for all dancers/choreographers participating full-time in the project (core group, max. 3 persons).
• Working space for a period of 6 weeks
• Material and fee budget for working materials, commissioning/invitation of external experts/collaborators, miscellaneous: up to 2.000€ guest fees, 500€ for documentation, 400€ material
• Separate budget for access fees, i.e. AD, assistance, access dramaturgy is available.
• Provision of technical equipment for the entire period (subject to agreement and availability) and technical support (at least 32H subject to agreement and availability)
• Support and advice on networking with initiatives and multipliers in the neighborhood /urban society.
• If desired: informal showing of the research

 

REQUIREMENTS:

Resident(s) must be professional dancers/choreographers based in Berlin. The partner initiative from the non-dance sector must be an equal partner and closely involved in the development of ideas. A short letter of intent by the partner initiative is mandatory. Free experimentation, collaborative work is desired; a presentation of the work and research phase is explicitly not required, but if it serves the exploration of the topic, small public formats are possible. A final report at the end of the residency by the principal resident(s) is required.

 

SELECTION:

Residencies will be selected through an open call and selected by the PSR Group (Olympia Bukkakis, Olivia Hyunsin Kim, Mmakgosi Kgabi, Sheena McGrandles, Simone Willeit, Dina Nurpeissova). PSR people will provide each of the selected residency projects with their existing connections and partnerships and support them by embedding them in the overall program at the Heizhaus. The selection is made according to the assessment of the specificity and experimental nature of the project as well as its plausibility and feasibility.

 

APPLICATION:

Please apply using the following form: https://forms.gle/CS1NfMBNpT4N5mmK8. If you do not have a Google account, please send your application as a complete PDF to psr.im.heizhaus@gmail.com.

To be submitted:

• a brief research description (max 1 page)

• a short bio of the core group participants (any format, any length)
• a description of the collaboration with the partner organization (max. 1 page) + their Letter of Intent
• An indication of the preferred period of the residency

Applications can also be submitted as a video (max. 3–5 minutes) via form or mail (deposited via link to an online platform). Questions about the application by mail only psr.im.heizhaus@gmail.com. For questions regarding accessibility issues in the application process contact us per email at psr.im.heizhaus@gmail.com.

 

ACCESSIBILITY:

Heizhaus is accessible via two ramps. The first ramp is 6.60 m long and has an incline of 5.2%, the second ramp is 6.80 m long with a 6% incline. To enter Studio 16, a 15 cm high step must be passed. If required, a mobile ramp is available here, which should be operated with an assistant.
Seating is customized. We offer beanbags, mattresses, cushions for work and public situations.
There are two barrier-free WCs with showers (measuring 2.6 m x 2.1 m) on the premises, which can be accessed without steps. There is no guidance system for the blind. There is an extra budget for barrier-free working (to be discussed in detail). Please communicate individual collaborators' access needs in your application.

 

The UMLAUFBAHNEN residencies at Uferstudios GmbH are part of the Tanz 2026 residency program, funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion. The call for applications is subject to funding from the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.