OPEN CALL ALTOFEST 2022

 

Residencies + Program

06th-19th June NAPOLI

Invitation for proposals
[deadline extended 3rd April 2022]

 

International Contemporary Live Arts Fest
GIVE RISE TO Human Regeneration

Created and Curated by TeatrInGestAzione
Artistic Direction – Gesualdi | Trono
Dramaturg – Loretta Mesiti

 

Altofest was born in 2011 as an act of resistance, both artistic and political. The aim is to GIVE RISE TO  a community based on the “poetic citizenship” principle. It calls to dialogue all the social components of the human-urban fabric in which it is grafted. It acts as a semantic interference in everyday life, allowing its inhabitants to speak to each other in a neutral language and meet in a shared risk space, daring together in a common space.

Altofest moves away from the function of mere “production” or “programming” of performances and artistic works, usually attributed to festivals, to become a space for experimental sociality.

Teatringestazione conceives Altofest as a live performance system, extended in time and space, shared with artists and authors from different disciplines, invited to question their works, in a public and collective way, through a translation process for the domestic space.

Through Altofest, we want to radically question ourselves on the need to generate new values constantly, to redesign the relationship with places, to subvert the use of spaces and the established attribution of roles, to dare to cross borders (of gender, of discipline, of competence, of action) that have never been attempted before.

For this reason, when choosing the proposals to send us, we invite the artists not to be influenced by the thought of easy adaptability of the work. On the contrary, the opportunity Altofest offers is to rework the performance, structure, essence, and direction to the domestic place and the relationships that cross and define it.

The artists are invited for an artistic residency to process the selected work. The work will then be open to the public during the programming days following the residency.

The artist’s stay is required for the entire Altofest period, for two weeks.

Altofest guarantees accommodation with the use of a kitchen, a production grant, and additional technical and human resources under the terms specified in the regulations in the attachment to this call.

Applications may include one or more original and finished work, conceived for a formal space, already performed in front of an audience. Archived or repertory works that are to be reactivated are also eligible. The theme, content and duration are free. The proposed works must belong to live art (theatre, dance, performance, experimental and interdisciplinary formats). Incomplete performance projects or those still in the study or creation phase are excluded.

 

HOW TO APPLY

Professional artists can apply from all over the world, with no distinction among nationality, country of residence, language or age. Unfortunately, amateur groups cannot apply.

You declare that you have read and unconditionally accept the regulations attached to the call for proposals by filling in the form.

The online application is the only way to send the artistic proposals for Altofest 2022.

For further information and questions:
please write to info@altofest.net
or call +39 320 0304861 (Whatsapp also)

𝑨𝑳𝑻𝑶𝑭𝑬𝑺𝑻 is a project by teatringestazione.com

 

Altofest was born in Naples in 2011, conceived and curated by TeatrInGestAzione, directed by Gesualdi | Trono, in dialogue with Loretta Mesiti.

Awarded by the EFA (European Festival Association) with the EFFE AWARD 2017-18 (Europe for Festivals Festivals for Europe), as one of the six best festivals in Europe. In 2018 it was included as a best practice in the annual report “I am Culture 2018”, edited by Fondazione Symbola. Also, in 2018, the Italian Ministry of Cultural assigned it the label “European Year of Heritage”. Winner of the Funder35 calls (2016); SIAE-Sillumina (2017); Allianz Kulturstiftung (2019). In 2018 Altofest left the borders of Naples for the first time, inaugurating a series of special editions, commissioned by several European Capitals of Culture: Altofest Malta 2018 for Valletta 2018 ECoC; Altofest Matera-Basilicata 2019 for Matera 2019 ECoC; while a re-edition for Valletta, commissioned by the Valletta Cultural Agency, is already in preparation for 2022. It is also included in the candidacy dossiers of Kaunas 2022 and Trenčín 2026, acting as a de facto connector of a “spontaneous” network among the cities sharing this title. Altofest is also an indicator of the cultural interest of the city of Naples in the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor tool of the European Commission.

 

Altofest 2022 REGULATIONS

 

FOREWORD

A Human-Specific Project

Altofest is conceived as a live performance system, a performance shaped like a festival, which is engrafted into the socio-urban fabric in which it happens. As a result, the artwork breaks into everyday life, allowing the poetic side of existence to emerge.

It is built with the participation of residents, who host national and international artists in their homes for two weeks.

The houses become a space for artistic creation during residency days, and then they are open to the audience during the programming days. Altofest is a project of experimental sociality based on proximity, on the gift, on mutual care. This gives birth to a direct relationship between artist and resident citizen, inaugurating a dialogue on the deep meaning of hospitality, giving rise to a process of human regeneration, blending the intimate and public dimensions. It provides a heterogeneous dimension between artists and citizens which tends at transcending roles in favour of collective participation, an utter experience that generates “new relationships”.

It is not just about hosting a performance in one’s own home, but the daily presence of an artist contaminates the vision of those who live or cross the domestic space. Artist creative urgency blends in with the needs of his host in a constant dialogue that not only aims at redefining the work but also the signs that compose it, as well as the inhabited space and the objects that define it as “familiar”.

The citizen involved in the project is not a user or recipient but a structural and founding part and an active agent of the process. The hosting citizen takes care of the artistic process while the artist cares for the host and his community.

 

HOW ALTOFEST WORKS

Altofest takes place in different areas of Naples consists of a 10-day artistic residency period, followed by a 5-day programme, running from 11:00 to 24:00.

The spaces in which Altofest will take place might vary according to nature and dimension. They belong to residents and might be indoors or outdoors.

The program of Altofest is composed exclusively of a selection of original works, previously created for a formal space, already completed and performed in front of an audience. Any subject and contents are accepted, but performances must belong to the field of Live Arts (theatre, dance, performances, and experimental and interdisciplinary formats).

 

Places for thoughts

The performances are intertwined with public talks and meetings with professionals, coordinated by the Co.R (Research Community), dedicated to elaborating the theoretical questions that emerge from the process that Altofest activates. Performers are also invited to meet with international cultural experts who animate Texture (a platform for discussion on cultural design visions and practices). Artists, citizens and cultural experts are all invited to equally take part in these public moments of debate to share and discuss the questions that the Fest triggers.
Artists, citizens and cultural experts are all equally invited to participate in these public moments of sharing and discussion.

 

Curatorial approach

The curatorial approach that outlines the “fest” originates from meticulous attention to the one-to-one relationship between artist and donor, letting the generative potential of this encounter spread out to the system of relationships within which everyone moves, infiltrating through the different layers of living.
The Artistic Direction designates the space to the artist, making sure to match each artist’s work accurately with the hosting citizen and space. But, of course, the match between the artist and the citizen is unique, so Altofest follows a specific dramaturgy that turns it into a live performance itself.
To offer a further exchange of perspectives, the artistic directors and the dramaturg of Altofest plan a meeting with each artist to analyse the process during the residency.
The performances are selected through an international open call that is spread worldwide.
Each edition dramaturgy is composed by an emersion, a synthesis of the gaze applied to the numerous proposals received.

 

Participation and program

All performances are offered for free, although booking is mandatory.
The spaces that host the performances have different dimensions and can welcome only a small number of spectators. Therefore, artists must guarantee a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 repeats to ensure full community participation. Extra performances could be agreed with the citizen “space donor” and arranged by the artistic direction.
Altofest is a space for research and a place to share artistic processes; it works as an observatory for new relations and different ways to engage citizens in participatory art practices. Therefore, artists must see all the programmed performances, participate in activities, and work to engage the citizens. Also, they must be available to work with the Co.R and take part in discussions and debates with the international cultural experts.

 

Accommodation and Residency

Artists live and work in informal spaces, mainly homes, hosted by citizens called “Space Donors”. The accommodation space is the same as the artistic residency and performance. If a space donor cannot host all the company members, then the “Accommodation Network” is activated (a network composed of citizens, friends and supporters of Altofest).
Artists are involved for two weeks, including the artist residency and public performances. Therefore, the presence of the artists is required for the entire period of Altofest. The active and immersive presence of the artist is an essential part of the structure of Altofest. Furthermore, it is necessary to fulfil the processes triggered during the event.
Artists shall question and re-write their work, considering the elements that already exist in the space. The artist should not simply adapt the work to space but engage in the process of translation.
During the period of residency, day by day, the artist shall engage space donors in analysing and re-writing the performance.

 

Technical conditions

Due to the domestic and private nature of spaces, Altofest does not provide additional technical support other than what is already existing in the designated space.
If the artists need additional technical equipment or props, they have to take care of finding and transporting them by themselves and at their own expense.
Artist must discuss any technical intervention with the owners and residents of the space and the artistic direction.
TeatrInGestAzione shares 9 “Party Bag” (speakers, pre-amplified); a video projector; two microphones; a microphone stand; two sound mixers. Technical equipment will be shared with all the artists on a rotation basis, exclusively during the public event (from the 15th to the 19th of June 2022).

 

Documentation

Altofest is documented through photos, videos, interviews and audio recordings. The collected materials compose the archive of Altofest, which remains its property and might be used for researching and promotional purposes. The artists will have no claim and no right to the collected materials.

 

 

GENERAL CONDITIONS

Altofest does not provide any technical or economic support other than this document’s clearly stated.

Altofest is an independent community-based project. Altofest exists and resists thanks to the members of Teatringestazione, who donate their time, skills and money (to the extent of their possibilities). Thanks to the citizens, who give spaces and accommodation. Thanks to the artists, who share the time and space of their work; thanks to volunteers; thanks to the participation of some local ethical realities; thanks to researchers; professionals; cultural experts, national and international, who offer their skills and share their visions, intertwining them with those of Altofest.

From 2017 to 2021, the editions of Altofest were partially supported by Funder35/Fondazione con il Sud; SIAE-Sillumina; Allianz Kulturstiftung.

 

Altofest provides artists with 

– A production grant of € 1000. The payment will be made within the end of December 2022, via bank transfer and after the invoice is received (under no circumstances the payment will be made by cash);

– Free accommodation with the use of kitchen, in one of the private spaces belonging to “space donor” citizen, or to a member of the Accommodation Network composed of citizens, friends and supporters;

– The care for the relation between artists and space donors or accommodation donors;

– The care for all the possible connections between artists and international cultural experts and professionals;

– The promotion of the performances through Altofest website, social network, newsletter, printed and press-related materials;

– The promotion of the different activities by the artists, through social media, with the #PEOPLEofALTOFEST hashtag during the whole year;

– A bilingual translation (ITA-ENG) for promotion and communication material because Altofest cares for linguistic accessibility.

Artists commit themselves to respect the following conditions:

– Artists will commit themselves to be present for the whole duration of Altofest; from 06th to 19th of June 2022;

– Artists will commit themselves to perform at least a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 repeats and be available for any additional run for the Altofest community;

– Artists relieve Altofest from the payment of social security, insurance contributions and royalties;

– Artists are committed to using original materials without copyright or otherwise to pay themselves royalties and rights when using materials with copyright (music or images or any other kind of non-original materials).

Altofest does not cover travel costs but makes agreements with several Embassies and international cultural institutions that support artists’ mobility (Altofest has a 95% success rate for mobility support with countries it has already agreed).
Artists will receive an official invitation letter to apply for international mobility funds.

 

Please Note:

Altofest reserves the right to change each one of the previous points of the regulation document in case something would change by the date of the signature of the contract.