REFLECTIONS. Two days of study to plan the future of dance

To mark the closing of the Big Pulse Dance Alliance project, which brought together 12 European dance festivals and organizations, Turin will host the first international Big Pulse Dance Alliance conference, titled Reflections (at the Museo del Risorgimento, Il Circolo dei Lettori, and Teatro Carignano). This two-day forum will bring together professionals from across the dance sector — artists, curators, producers, administrators, communications managers, and policymakers — to exchange knowledge and strengthen collaboration with the goal of building a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient ecosystem for dance. Through panels, workshops, and performances, participants will explore the pressing issues facing the sector, working together to shape a future in which dance continues to thrive, inspiring creativity, dialogue, and connection across Europe and beyond. A key focus will also be dedicated to sustainability, with targeted discussions on how sustainable practices must be considered from the earliest stages of production through to distribution.

Big Pulse Dance Alliance is a four-year partnership (2021–2024) comprising 12 European dance festivals and institutions, united by a passion to promote, strengthen, and expand the reach of the contemporary dance sector. With co-funding from the EU’s Creative Europe programme, Big Pulse aims to diversify dance programming on stage and in outdoor public spaces; support artists’ development through mentorships, travel opportunities, and workshops; and invite new audiences to engage with the art form through dynamic live or digital performances and other participatory activities. The project’s long-term vision is to create a vibrant network of European dance festivals working collaboratively and sustainably to amplify dance’s transformative impact.

At the conclusion of the conference, a manifesto will be presented: the Turin Declaration Draft. Shaping the future of contemporary dance: insights from the Big Pulse Dance Alliance project, whose points will be discussed and defined during the two days of the event.

At Fonderie Limone Moncalieri – Sala K, on October 22 and 23 from 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., the video installation City Horses will be open to the public with free admission. City Horses is a performance for public spaces supported by Big Pulse Dance Alliance and here presented as a video installation. Helena Byström and Anna Källblad collaborate to create works that boldly inhabit public spaces. With a playful tone, they raise questions about women’s freedom, the body, and sexuality.

Big Pulse Dance Alliance partners: Tanz im August/HAU Hebbel am Ufer (Germany), Dance Umbrella (UK), Dublin Dance Festival (Ireland), Julidans (Netherlands), New Baltic Dance (Lithuania), ONE Dance Week (Bulgaria), Torinodanza Festival (Italy), Zodiak – Side Step Festival (Finland), Sismògraf Dance Festival (Catalonia – Spain), International Dance Festival TANEC PRAHA (Czech Republic), CODA Oslo International Dance Festival (Norway), and Danscentrum Sverige (Sweden).

Full programme available at www.bigpulsedance.eu