Spring Forward 2023
Dublin, Ireland
Spring Forward Festival 2023 took place in Dublin, Ireland between 27 – 29 April, across a number of local venues, including Project Arts Centre, Smock Alley Theatre, The Complex, Samuel Beckett Theatre and Dance Ireland.
Watch the festival's post trailer!
Aerowaves brought together the #Twenty23 selection of artists from around Europe to a professional international audience. In addition, former Aerowaves artist Oona Doherty presented Hope Hunt and the Ascension into Lazarus, the work that was selected by Aerowaves in 2017, but had never been presented live before as part of the festival.
In Dublin we saw 21 performances over 3 days and welcomed 196 dance professionals from 42 countries.
In addition, this was an opportunity to meet the international group of journalists and writers of the Springback Academy and the producers and curators of the Startup Forum programme. Aerowaves also invited 10 dance makers based in Ireland, to be part of the Spring Forward Artists’ Encounter, and participate in an intensive programme which included a professional development workshop, opportunities to network and access to the festival programme. On the morning of Saturday 29 April at Dance Ireland, there was a talk featuring Oona Doherty, Olga Dukhovnaya and Nick Bryson moderated by Roísín O’Brien,
Aerowaves is Co-funded by the European Union and Spring Forward 2023 in Dublin was possible thanks to the support of: Pro-Helvetia, Culture Ireland, Onassis STEGI, Italian Cultural Institute, the British Council, the French Embassy and the Goethe Institute in Dublin.
The festival was presented in collaboration with: Dance Ireland, Project Arts Centre, Smock Alley Theatre, The Complex, Samuel Beckett Theatre and CoisCéim Broadreach.
Springback Academy
Springback Academy meeting, at Dance Ireland (27 April 2023), © Patricio Cassinoni.
Our new writers were mentored by the dream team of dance critics Donald Hutera (The Times), Sanjoy Roy (The Guardian), Kelly Apter (The Scotsman) and Laura Cappelle (New York Times). Under the coordination of Oonagh Duckworth and the guidance of these four experienced dance writers, they wrote reviews about the festival performances.
The Springback Academy class 2023: Maria Palma Teixeira (Portugal), Rebecca Douglass (United Kingdom), Callysta Croizer (France), Zsófia Bálint (Hungary), Declan Whitaker (Switzerland), Marie Niček (Czech Republic), Dom Czapski (United Kingdom), Elsa Vinet (France), Liza Weber (United Kingdom/Germany), Djalil Sultani (The Netherlands).
Startup Forum
Startup Forum participants, at Dance Ireland (29 April 2023), © Patricio Cassinoni.
A group of emerging dance presenters were guided again through the festival by Aerowaves Partners, addressing current programming issues by example.
Aerowaves board member and former director of Dance Umbrella Betsy Gregory leads the initiative and the mentors are Catja Loepfe (Tanzhaus Zürich, Switzerland), Markéta Perroud (Tanec Praha, Czech Republic), Pirjetta Mulari (Annantalo, Finland) and Béatrice Horn (Biennale de la danse Lyon, France).
Startup Forum 2023 participants: Agnese Bordjukova (Latvia), Egle Nevedomske (Lithuania), Ivana Hadžihasanović (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Jarkko Partenen (Finland), Jelena Mićić (Croatia), Luke Murphy (Ireland), Sheree Lenting (Netherlands), Simone Mousset (UK / Luxembourg), Soňa Jakubove (Slovakia) and Tina Hollard (France).
Artists' Encounter
Artists’ Encounter group 2023, at Dance Ireland, © Patricio Cassinoni
Ten local artists, selected through an open call, attended a workshop in collaborating internationally and then follow the festival programme. Artists’ Encounter is a new programme addressed to dance makers interested in developing and/or expanding their connections with international artists and presenters.
Artists’ Encounter participants 2023: Jessie Thompson, Isabella Oberländer, Stace Gill, Rocío Magalí Domínguez, Rachel Sheil, Jessie Keenan, Ghaliah Conroy, Diarmuid Armstrong Mayock, Mateusz Szczerek and Favour Odusola.
They were joined by artists Giorgia Lolli (Italy) and Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo (Québec) to attend a professional development workshop led by Anikó Rácz, Artistic Director of SÍN Arts Center Hungary, focusing on working in an international context and artistic career development. The Artists’ Encounter participants had free access to the 21 performances of the Spring Forward Festival and attend events, talks and receptions throughout.
