Open Stage 2027—Open Call for Completed Works
cont·act Dance Festival calls for completed works of approximately 15 minutes by dance and movement artists from Singapore and around the world for Open Stage 2027—works that engage with the realities and questions of our time, while opening up perspectives on what might lie ahead.
Making a work takes time, commitment and considerable artistic labour. Open Stage is founded on the belief that this investment continues to hold value beyond a work’s premiere. By creating space for completed works to be performed again, the platform opens up further encounters with audiences, artistic contexts and possibilities beyond where the work began.
Open Stage 2027 brings together works selected through this open call with works invited through cont·act Dance Festival’s relationships with partner festivals. Presented across 2 curated mixed-bill programmes, these works bring different artistic practices and perspectives from Singapore and beyond into proximity with one another, opening up conversations between the works themselves and the people who encounter them.
Each programme will be presented across 2 shows, with 1 accompanied by a post-show dialogue. Selected artists may also be invited by the festival to teach a class or workshop, creating another point of entry into their artistic practice.
International festival presenters and partners will be invited to attend Open Stage. Through these encounters, the festival hopes to create possibilities for relationships to develop and, where a work resonates with a presenter’s interests, for further invitations and presentations beyond cont·act Dance Festival.
Eligibility & Support
Works submitted must have been presented publicly at least once before and should involve no more than 2 performers.
Each selected work will receive a performance fee. Recognising that the scope and requirements of each work may differ, fees will be discussed individually with selected artists.
Artists based outside of Singapore are responsible for securing their own travel funding for flights to and from Singapore. The festival will provide accommodation and per diems for the personnel reasonably required to present the selected work, up to a maximum of 2 persons.
Performances will take place in a black box setting, with technical support provided by the festival. Works should be adaptable to the venue’s available resources, and selected artists may be asked to adapt their technical requirements where necessary.
Subject to studio availability, local artists may also receive up to 8 hours of studio space to rehearse their work ahead of Open Stage’s production week.
Please read through ‘Annexe A: Terms and Conditions’ before submitting your application.
About cont·act Dance Festival
Presented by T.H.E Dance Company, and led by founding artistic director Kuik Swee Boon, cont·act Dance Festival gathers dance-makers and artists from Singapore and around the world, bringing different practices, perspectives and responses into contact, and opening up exciting possibilities for what dance can be today. Since its inception in 2010, it has presented 16 editions to date.
cont·act, meaning “continued act”, encapsulates the festival’s unending vigour towards celebrating the craft of contemporary dance and advocating for dance as a bridging force of diverse experiences and perspectives. Echoing the gesture of touch, or contact, the festival celebrates dance as a force that bridges perspectives and experiences, and touches hearts and minds.
Key Dates
22–24 June 2027: Bump-in/technical preparations
24 June 2027, 7:30pm: Open Stage – Programme A
25 June 2027, 7:30pm: Open Stage – Programme A (with post-show dialogue)
26 June 2027, 3:00pm: Open Stage – Programme B (with post-show dialogue)
26 June 2027, 7:30pm: Open Stage – Programme B
Exact dates for your stay in Singapore are dependent on which programme your work is assigned to.
How To Apply
Interested applicants are invited to complete and submit the application form.
Application Deadline: 15 November 2026, 11:59pm SGT.
Selected applicants will be notified via email by 30 November 2026. Applications will be evaluated by the festival director together with the festival team. For questions or concerns, please email festival@the-dancecompany.com.
Annexe A: Terms and Conditions
1. Selected artists will present the work submitted in their application as part of Open Stage at cont·act Dance Festival 2027. The festival will determine whether each selected work is presented under Programme A or Programme B.
2. Applicants should ensure that all participating artists and personnel are available for the key dates stated in the open call before submitting an application.
3. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they hold, or have obtained, all necessary rights and permissions for the presentation of the work in Singapore, including those relating to choreography, music, text, video and other copyrighted materials where applicable.
4. Selected artists must provide all information and materials reasonably required by the festival for licensing, production, publicity and the public presentation of their work by the stipulated deadlines. Selected artists will be informed of any requirements arising from the licensing process that may affect the presentation of their work.
5. Works should have scalable technical requirements that can be adapted to the available setup and resources of Open Stage. All technical requirements are subject to review by the festival team, and selected artists may be required to adapt or simplify their technical requirements in consultation with the festival.
6. Selected artists are expected to participate in a post-show dialogue following 1 of the 2 performances of their respective programme.
7. Applicants grant T.H.E Dance Company permission to use materials submitted as part of the application for the purposes of assessing the application. If selected, artists agree to the use of approved images, videos, biographies and information relating to the work for the publicity and promotion of cont·act Dance Festival 2027.
8. Artists based outside Singapore are responsible for securing their own travel funding to and from Singapore. The festival will provide accommodation and per diems for the personnel required to present the selected work, up to a maximum of 2 persons. Accommodation will generally be provided in a twin-share room. Any additional personnel or accommodation requirements must be discussed with and approved by the festival in advance, and may be at the artist’s own expense.
9. Each work may only be submitted once. Where duplicate applications for the same work are received, only the first submission will be considered.
10. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that all information provided in their application is accurate and complete. Selected artists must inform the festival as soon as reasonably possible of any significant changes to the submitted work, cast or production requirements.
11. The festival may withdraw an offer of selection if an artist is unable to fulfil the requirements of participation, including obtaining the necessary rights and permissions, meeting key production deadlines, or adapting the work to the available technical provisions. An offer may also be reconsidered where substantial changes are made to the work, cast or other material aspects of the original submission without prior consultation with the festival.