MEET THE PARTNERS

Producer: United Cowboys, The Netherlands

United Cowboys is a collective of international artists under the guidance of a dedicated artistic team, and the leading organisation in the Eu-project. Inspired by a variety of art forms, United Cowboys creates multidisciplinary performances, on the border of dance, performance music, video and installation art mainly in national and international collaboration. It also manages an art house in the city centre of Eindhoven which functions as a space for artistic creation, artist residencies and as the main venue for the quarterly public micro-festival “Seasoning”, which is open to a loyal local and international artists and audiences. Encounters and exchange of artists among each other and with their (future) audience are always in the light of investigation, production, presentation and reflection.

The two artistic directors, Maarten van der Put (concept, direction, scenery) and Pauline Roelants (choreography and concept) - both create dance- and performance work that lead, in discussion with each other, to all the artistic choices and to the consequences of the various projects and productions.

Presenter 1: Gothenburg Fringe Festival, Gothenburg, Sweden

The Gothenburg Fringe is an explosion of creativity. Held at unique and unexpected venues across the city, we bring you uncensored, cutting-edge performance art which stimulates, educates and entertains

Presenter 2: Contemporary Dance Platform, Kyiv, Ukraine

AU Association “Contemporary Dance Platform” – non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) is engaged in educational and cultural projects in the sphere of contemporary dance in Ukraine. The mission of the organization is to create opportunities for development of the dance community and spectator audience of Ukraine.

Presenter 3: ACT Festival / Toplocentrala, Sofia, Bulgaria

ACT Association is an alliance of non-governmental organizations and artists active in the field of contemporary performing arts. Since its establishment in 2009, the association has actively worked to attain its main objectives: to unify, coordinate and research the independent performing arts scene in the country; to carry out advocacy campaigns and actions for decentralization in the field and to set up better conditions for professional work by the principle of free initiative and on a project basis; to promote diverse artistic practices and develop new audiences; to open up Bulgarian independent scene to the processes in the European cultural field and its active presentation in international context.

Toplocentrala is based in the former heating plant of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia, which fell into disuse in 1983. Since then, the building has been standing abandoned in a beautiful central park area in Sofia, next to a small river.

In 2014, a group of artists and organisations formed an initiative to transform the disused building into a centre for contemporary arts. The new cultural centre opened its doors to the public in 2021.