Roundabout Europe - Frequently Asked Questions

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Roundabout Europe is completed in December 2021

Please note that these Frequently Asked Questions are here for reference only. No new applications are possible.

Outdoor arts is an umbrella term for many performing arts, with the resemblance that they are presented outside the usual theatrical spaces, liberated from the buildings. Outdoor arts are performed on streets and squares, in parks and gardens, on roofs and rivers, in cities and villages and even in rural areas or site-specific. The term covers all kinds of theatre, dance, circus, comedy, puppetry, music, visual arts and even pyrotechnics.

Artists based in countries eligible for Creative Europe: EU Member States plus Norway, Iceland, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, North-Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia.

The application process is online, you can apply via this website by filling out the application form. You will be asked to write a synopsis of your planned project, a motivation, budget, your technical and coaching needs, expected time schedule and contact details. You will also be asked to attach your full artistic plan and some photos of your previous projects as digital files and links to recent online videos.

Application form

Five artists or artistic groups will be selected for the project in 2019, however Roundabout Europe will have a second edition in 2020 when five other artists or artistic groups can be selected.

The artistic directors of the participating festivals will be responsible for the selection of artists.

Participating festivals

The selection is a weighted process, based on the following criteria:

  1. High quality, strong and convincing artistic plan (40%);
  2. Clear need for capacity building and/or professionalisation (40%);
  3. Strong audience development and/or inclusion of underrepresented groups (10%);
  4. Easy to travel, tour and host (10%).

Each selected artist or artistic company is invited to do 2 residencies in different countries, and there will be a special focus, depending on their needs and wishes. Besides having time to work really focused on their performance, artists are offered several workshops and coaching sessions: practical, artistic (professional coaching) or inspirational (inviting professionals from non-artistic fields). We will combine the practical coaching in a central kick-off session where all the selected artists meet each other and the festivals.

The residencies will always be abroad, not in the same country where the artist live, as one of the aims of Roundabout Europe is to let artists experience different cultures, audiences and festival teams.

Every residency will be 2 weeks with an average number of 3 artists per residency. The results of the residencies are presented at the festivals of the partners. In addition, at the end of each residency, both the artists and experts sum up their experiences and publish this on the Roundabout Europe blog.

Artists will have time and space to make performances, and during their creation phase they will meet different artistic disciplines, audiences and cultures as well as interact with different festivals. These interactions can broaden their perspective and help them to make performances that are recognised and appreciated by a European wide audience. Also, they will have a better opportunity to create projects that involve audience participation.

Main partners will follow the residencies, whiles cooperation partners will be invited to work-in-progress shows and premieres and connected actively to the artists. The festivals turn to be a long-term supporting frame for the further development of the artists and a scene to present their work to other producers.

During the programme, the artist will also improve their administration skills, learn about funding, technique, production, marketing and networking.

Roundabout Europe will be responsible for the travel costs (up to a agreed maximum), accommodation and meals during the residencies.

Furthermore the project offers per residency a budget of € 1000 as a contribution to the production costs or as a small fee for the participants.