Meet the 2024 Startup Forum participants
12 February 2024
Following the Spring Forward in Elefsina (2022) and Dublin (2023), a group of emerging dance presenters will again be guided again through the festival by Aerowaves Partners, addressing current programming issues by example. Awards will be offered to three of them to plan and present projects involving Aerowaves artists when they return home.
Aerowaves board member and former director of Dance Umbrella Betsy Gregory leads the initiative and the mentors are Pirjetta Mulari (Annantalo, Helsinki), Lisa Reinheimer (Dansateliers, Rotterdam) and Francesca Manica (Romaeuropa, Rome.
Participants:
Dimitris Chimonas (Cyprus)
Evelyn Raudsepp (Estonia)
Ilias Chatzigeorgiou (Greece)
Masako Matshushita (Italy)
Nina Fajdiga (Slovenia)
Tony Tran (Norway)
Simona Deaconescu (Romania)
Samuel Retortillo (Spain)
Renata Piotrowska-Auffret (Poland)
Dimitris Chimonas: Spanning performance, film, and sculpture, Chimonas directed the opening ceremony of the International Cyprus Film Days Festival 2023 and curated “Sessions: a series of queer happenings.” He attended artist residencies, including one at Ashkal Alwan in Beirut (2018-2019).
Evelyn Raudsepp: A Tallinn-based curator and producer for performing and visual arts, Raudsepp received degrees from the University of Tartu and the Estonian Academy of Arts. Currently working at the Contemporary Art Museum of Estonia (EKKM).
Ilias Chatzgigeorgiou: A choreographer and dancer, Ilias curated dance at Athens’ Epidaurus Festival from 2019 to 2022. He initiated the “DANCING CHESTNUT” Dance Festival in 2023.
Masako Matsushita: An Italian-Japanese multidisciplinary artist, Matsushita explores movement analysis through choreography, dance, and performative installations, aiming to generate architectures for socialization.
Nina Fajdiga: A multifaceted professional in contemporary dance, Fajdiga graduated from SNDO Amsterdam in 2007 and later studied Cultural Management. She collaborates with European dance houses and has curated events bridging dance and music.
Tony Tran: A Norwegian-Vietnamese choreographer, Tran’s work has toured across Europe, Middle East, Asia, and North America. He serves as the dance curator for the music festival Lyse Netter.
Simona Deaconescu: Deaconescu creates interdisciplinary works examining collective values and technology’s impact. She founded Tangaj Collective and co-established the Bucharest International Dance Film Festival (BIDFF).
Samuel Retortillo: Retortillo is a dancer, choreographer, and curator, directing La Rioja’s Choreographic Centre and Madrid’s Fiver Screendance Movement festival. He runs various dance and live arts festivals and programmes.
Renata Piotrowska-Auffret: Piotrowska-Auffret is a curator and choreographer interested in parenthood and care in artistic works. She approaches dance from a feminist and intergenerational perspective.
Information taken from the Aerowaves announcement available here.