The host organisation and its team will:

• Show a solid experience in organising performing arts events and hosting foreign artists and professionals.
• Demonstrate a solid local base and a strong capacity to mobilise audiences, artistic communities, national cultural institutions and authorities.
• Mobilise partners and support at a national and international level. The Biennial will benefit from an important financial support from the Institut français Paris, the first partner of the event.
• Demonstrate the technical, administrative and production skills required to organise and run an international festival.
• Prove a sound knowledge of the African choreographic scene and its challenges, and an established experience in curating cultural events.

Over 5 to 10 days, the Biennial's programme will:

• Reflect the vitality of the young artistic scene throughout the continent.
• Include at least six (6) artists supported since 2022 by the Institut français' Résidanses programme.
• Give an insight into the local art scene.

In the selection process, we will value how projects:

• Address gender equality and gender minorities issues.
• Tackle the environmental challenges.
• Include capacity-building actions and support for local initiatives.

The host organisation must:

• be an association or a foundation legally domiciled on the African continent.
• have been in existence for at least two years on the date the present call opens.

The selection process will be carried out by a 7-member jury, including:

• 3 guest artists/professionals
• 3 members of the Biennial Committee
• 1 representative of the Institut français Paris and of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The selection will take place in two stages.

The jury will first examine all applications and select a maximum of four (4) organisations for a final interview.

In the final round, up to two legal representatives of the shortlisted organizations will be invited to participate in a 40-minute interview. The jury will then proceed to the final selection.

• 12 September 2024: opening of the call for applications
• 27 October 2024: close of the call for applications
• 28 October to 22 November 2024: examination of applications and pre-selection of a maximum of four (4) candidates
• 25 to 29 November 2024: interview with one or two representatives of up to four shortlisted organisations
• Early December 2024: discussions and final selection
• December 2024: announcement of the host structure for the 2025 or the 2026 Biennial

The call for applications for the 2027-28 Dance Biennial in Africa will be launched in spring 2025.

As of 1 July 2024, the Biennial's operational Committee is made up of Virginie Dupray (independent producer, France), Taoufik Izzediou (artist and art operator, Morocco), Salia Sanou (artist and art operator, Burkina Faso) and Quito Tembe (art operator, Mozambique).

The role of the Biennial Committee is to represent, advise and monitor the Biennial. It is responsible for implementing calls for applications, the Biennial selection process, supporting the host organisation, monitoring and evaluating each Biennial, as well as supervising inter-biennal activities.

The current Committee will be renewed on 1 December 2024 for a period of four years. The new Committee will be set up following a call for applications.

Complete the online form here before 27 October 2024. 

We encourage you to submit your project in English or French, but we will also consider applications in Portuguese.

The following information is requested in about your organisation

• Name of the organisation
• Legal form and date of creation
• History and missions of your organisation (max. 3000 characters)
• Description of how your organisation works: team, infrastructure, etc. (max. 3000 characters)
• Name, position, e-mail and telephone number of the legal representative of your organisation
• Name, position, e-mail address and telephone number of the person in charge of the present application
• Annual operating budgets in euros of your organisation (expenses) 2023 & 2022
• 2023 balance sheet (pdf document)
• Narrative activity report 2023 (pdf document)
• Legalised articles of association (pdf document)
• Letter(s) of support from public authorities (optional)

The following information is requested in about your project

• Summary of your project for the Dance Biennale in Africa 2025 or 2026. This document must include artistic directions, review of the infrastructures available locally (venues, equipment…), description of the operational teams, partners approached at national and international level, involvement of national and local authorities, art communities and audiences, a communication strategy, a retroplanning, as well as a one-week programming simulation. (pdf document, 10 sheets max)
• What are your region's assets for hosting the Dance Biennial in Africa? (3000 characters max)
• How will your Biennial project address the ecological transition? (3000 characters max)
• How will your Biennial project contribute to the fight against gender discrimination? (3000 characters max)
• After the Biennial: what impact could the hosting the Biennial have on the development of your organisation and of the local art scene? (3000 characters max)
• Provisional balanced budget / expenditure & income in euros (spreadsheet excel file)

Documents may be submitted in English, French and Portuguese.

For any inquiries, please contact us

• Joshua Gabriel (Nigeria)
• Patience Ebute (Nigeria)
• Carolina Manuel (Mozambique)
• Déborah Aiyegbeni ( Nigeria)
• Daouda Keita (Mali)
• Couto Rita (Mozambique)
• Kossivi Senegbe Afiadegnigban (Togo)
• Mohamed Lamqayssi (Morocco)
• Kadidja Tiemanta (Mali)