Performance Residency – LIVE WORKS Free School of Performance, Centrale Fies (Italy)
€3,000 fellowship and multi-phase performance residency program
LIVE WORKS – Free School of Performance is an international platform dedicated to contemporary performance practices organized by Centrale Fies in Dro, Italy. The program supports artists developing new performance projects through residencies, research sessions, and curatorial guidance.
Selected artists participate in a multi-year development structure connected to the LIVE WORKS platform and the Live Works Summit events.
Opportunity Snapshot of LIVE WORKS Performance Residency
What: LIVE WORKS – Free School of Performance
Who: Artists and professionals working in performance and live contemporary practices
Where: Centrale Fies, Dro (Trentino), Italy
Award / Support: €3,000 fellowship and residency program
Residency Duration:
• Two-week individual residency (Sept–Dec 2026)
• Collective residency during Live Works Summit 2027
Deadline: April 13, 2026 (midnight)
Official Link: https://www.liveworksaward.com/call-26
About the Opportunity
LIVE WORKS – Free School of Performance is a platform dedicated to contemporary live practices that expand the evolving field of performance. The initiative focuses on hybrid artistic research and the social, political, and public dimensions of performative practices.
Each edition selects six projects that are developed through residency periods and curatorial support. The program treats performance as a workspace and research environment, supporting artists exploring expanded notions of performativity across media, sound, choreography, text, and interdisciplinary formats.
Selected artists participate in the LIVE WORKS development process, culminating in presentations during the Live Works Summit 2027 at Centrale Fies.
What Is Offered in LIVE WORKS Performance Residency
Selected projects receive:
- €3,000 annual fellowship
- Participation in the Kick Off Seminar (17–19 July 2026) during Live Works Summit 2026
- Two-week individual residency at Centrale Fies between September and December 2026
- Collective residency during Live Works Summit 2027
- Travel costs covered for residency and seminar periods
- Accommodation and food during residency phases and Kick Off Seminar
- Curatorial and production support including:
- studio visits
- critical sessions
- reading groups
- Production and curatorial staff support from Centrale Fies
- Public presentation of the work during Live Works Summit 2027
- Exposure to a network of international professionals working with festivals, institutions, and production programs in performing arts
Who Should Apply to LIVE WORKS Performance Residency
Applicants may:
- Be artists or professionals from any geographic location
- Apply as individuals or groups
- Submit one project
- Propose unpublished projects or long-term projects that need development or completion
Projects may include:
- performance
- sound and new media practices
- text-based or lecture performances
- multimedia storytelling
- choreographic practices
- relational or workshop-based projects
- projects exploring performativity beyond the body
Timeline
Application Opens: March 2, 2026
Deadline: April 13, 2026 (midnight)
Additional timeline milestones:
- End of April 2026 — online interviews with shortlisted projects
- End of May 2026 — selected projects announced
- July 17–19, 2026 — Kick Off Seminar
- Sept–Dec 2026 — individual residency period
- Summer 2027 — collective residency and project presentations
Why LIVE WORKS Performance Residency Matters
LIVE WORKS has become an important European platform supporting experimental performance practices. The program combines research, residency development, curatorial support, and international visibility, providing artists working in performance and interdisciplinary media with sustained time and structural support to develop ambitious projects.
Apply
Application form:
https://liveworks.wufoo.com/forms/zx20dlz1dw93pu/
Explore More Opportunities
Visit
https://contemporaryperformance.com/opportunities/
We regularly publish artist opportunities, open calls, residencies, commissions, performance reviews, festival highlights, Reading the Field essays, and artist development resources.
