Performance Programme
BE FESTIVAL 2020 SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.
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BE FESTIVAL is Birmingham’s annual summer festival of international arts. It aims to uncover exciting artists, theatre makers and companies making work across Europe and bring them together for a week-long celebration of theatre, dance, circus, site-specific and visual arts.
We look for work that crosses borders (linguistic, cultural, artistic), pushes boundaries and can connect/inspire people of all nationalities. Continuing with the topic opened in 2019, we will be paying particular attention to work related to the themes of archive and memory.
Who can apply?
Companies from across Europe can apply either with a finished show or with a piece that is still in development.
BE FESTIVAL has been revising how the festival will be programmed and we are now also considering pieces up to 60 minutes.
The overall programme is likely to be a mix of shows with different lengths and we are still looking for shows related to the theme Archive & Memory of a diverse multidisciplinary mix of scenic languages; dance, circus, devised theatre, performance, etc.
The festival also welcomes applications from artists specialising in site-specific work; again this can be a show already in existence or the idea for one.
BE FESTIVAL is an invaluable showcase opportunity as performances are watched by national and international programmers and producers. Companies who performed at BE have since been programmed at London International Mime Festival, The Barbican, South Bank Centre, The Lowry, Traverse Theatre, Bilbao ACT Festival, Rome Short Theatre Festival, FITT Festival and Sarajevo MESS Festival to name a few. Furthermore, it’s a space to meet other artists, explore ideas and build new collaborations across Europe.
BE FESTIVAL also invites a jury panel to award prizes at BE FESTIVAL including a funded residency to develop your work and perform it at BE FESTIVAL the following year or paid performances at other European festivals. Alongside these prizes, three companies will be given two paid Touring Prizes to 14 venues across the UK and Spain in Autumn and Spring.
BE FESTIVAL is part of the Creative Europe funded project SHIFT KEY in partnership with festivals FESTIVAL MESS Sarajevo, BILBAO ACT FESTIVAL, SHORT THEATRE ROME and ITS FESTIVAL AMSTERDAM.
How to apply?
The deadline for BE FESTIVAL 2020 is now closed, we will publish information about our next call out soon.
For further questions email us on info@befestival.org or via facebook, we will try to get back to you as soon as we can.