NewSteps is looking for dance institutions interested in joining a dual-career pathway for professional dancers!
 

NewSteps invites dance institutions to take part in a European conversation that is urgently needed: how can the dance sector support dancers before, during and after the transition from performance? By joining the project, selected institutions will contribute to building the first steps towards a more sustainable, inclusive and structured model of career transition support for dancers in Europe. If your organization works with dancers and believes that artistic careers deserve continuity, recognition and new possibilities, we invite you to apply! 

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The NewSteps project is launching an open call to select two dance institutions from each project country (Finland, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, and Slovenia) to take part in an international Creative Europe initiative dedicated to professional transition and dual-career support for dancers. 
 

The project addresses one of the most urgent but still underestimated challenges in the dance sector: how to support professional dancers, especially in the later stages of their artistic careers, when they need to prepare for new professional opportunities beyond performance.

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Dance is not only a profession. For many dancers, it is a lifelong identity, a way of thinking, creating, relating and contributing to society. However, the physical demands of dance often make performance careers shorter and more fragile than many other artistic careers. Many dancers reach a point in which they need new skills, new professional perspectives and structured support to continue contributing to the cultural and creative sectors in different roles. 
 

NewSteps aims to respond to this challenge by adapting the concept of dual-career pathways, widely used in the sport sector, to the dance field. Through research, training, networking and policy dialogue, the project will support dancers and dance institutions in exploring how professional experience in dance can be connected to cultural management, project development, event organisation, communication, fundraising, social entrepreneurship and other roles within the cultural and creative industries. 
 

Who can apply?

This open call is addressed to dance institutions, organisations and networks active in the project countries, including: 

• dance academies, schools, companies, associations and networks 

• grassroots dance organisations 

• cultural organisations working directly with dancers 

• Dance-based networks 

• Dance companies 

• organisations supporting professional or semi-professional dancers 

• Theatres and festivals working in the field of dance 

• Production centres 
   

Each project partner will select two national dance institutions. One place will be reserved, where possible, for a grassroots or smaller organisation, while the other may be assigned to a more established dance institution. This approach aims to ensure diversity in the project and to involve organisations with different levels of experience, resources and connection to the dance sector. 
 

The call is open to organisations working in different dance genres and artistic traditions. Applications from rural-based organisations, organisations working with disadvantaged dancers, and organisations with limited previousexperience in cultural management or international projects are particularly encouraged. 
 

What will selected institutions do?

Selected institutions will become part of the NewSteps stakeholder network and will actively contribute to the project’s research, training, networking and dissemination activities. 

In particular, each selected dance institution will have to: 

• contribute to the research phase by sharing experiences, needs and perspectives related to dancers’ career transition 

• disseminate research questionnaires among dancers and professionals in its network 

• take part in interviews, online roundtables or consultation activities 

• Test the NewSteps e-learning course on cultural management for dancers 

• select and involve 6 professional dancers over 25 from its own organisation or network 

• Ensure the participation of the selected dancers in the international training week in Sofia in 2027 (all costs related to the mobility will be covered by the project) 

• take part in networking and policy-making activities at national and European level 

• Ensure the participation of the selected dancers in the NewSteps European event in Bucharest in 2028 (all costs related to the mobility will be covered by the project) 

• contribute to the project awareness-raising campaign, including the production of short video materials and podcast interviews 

• disseminate project results through its own communication channels

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The selected institutions will play a key role in ensuring that the NewSteps model is not only developed at project level, but tested in real dance contexts and shaped by the needs of dancers and organisations. 

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What will dancers receive?

Each selected institution will involve 6 dancers over 25 (among them, at least 2 male dancers). These dancers will have the opportunity to participate in a pilot dual-career learning pathway focused on cultural management and professional development beyond performance. The pathway will include: the participation into the e-leraning course with 5 ECTS recognized by the Savonia University of Applied Sciences of Kuopio (FI), the mobility in Sofia in 2027 and the one in Bucharest in 2028 

Travel, accommodation and daily allowances for the international mobilities will be entirely covered by the project, according to the project rules and available budget. 

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Why apply? 

By joining NewSteps, selected dance institutions will become part of a European process aimed at creating more sustainable career pathways for dancers. 

Participation will offer several benefits: 

• Visibility 
  Selected institutions will be featured in NewSteps communication channels and connected to a wider European network of dance organisations, cultural actors, stakeholders and policymakers. 

• Capacity-building 
  Institutions will have access to project research, training materials and the e-learning course on cultural management, which can be used internally to support dancers and staff. 

• International networking 
  Selected institutions will join a transnational network involving partners and stakeholders from Finland, Italy, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania, with opportunities to exchange practices and build future collaborations. 

• Support for dancers 
  Each selected organisation will be able to offer six dancers over 25 a fully funded international training and policy-dialogue experience. 

• Contribution to policy change 
  Institutions will help collect needs, evidence and proposals from the dance sector, contributing to project policy recommendations addressed to local, national and European policymakers. 

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Selection criteria: applications will be assessed by the relevant national project partner according to the objectives of NewSteps and the role expected from participating institutions. 

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Priority will be given to organisations that: 

• demonstrate a strong motivation to support dancers’ career transition 

• work directly with professional or semi-professional dancers  

• are able to involve 6 dancers aged over 25 in the project activities (with preference to over 30 ones), among which at least 2 male dancers. 

• show an interest in cultural management, dual-career pathways and professional development 

• work with older dancers, disadvantaged dancers or dancers coming from rural regions or with limited access to training opportunities 

• have limited experience in cultural management and could benefit from capacity-building 

• are active in rural, peripheral or less represented areas 

• represent diverse dance genres, traditions or communities 

• are willing to contribute to research, training, networking, communication and policy activities throughout the lifecycle of the project 

• can support the dissemination of project results within their local, national or international networks
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The selection will aim to ensure balance between grassroots organisations - organisation with less than 5 years of establishment and/or with no-national level productions/outreach and/or with less than 100k of revenue annually - (1 per country) and more established institutions (1 per country). 

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How to apply:
Interested organisations are invited to submit their application by filling this form:
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