What is Gap Exchange?

It’s a way for contemporary theatre artists to share their practice, learn from international peers, and develop an international network. It will be practice-centred, informal, egalitarian, and thoughtful, and will have a focus on taking time and offering hospitality. This is a pilot programme to bring six artists based in Ireland in contact with six international artists, two in Belgium, two in England and two in the Netherlands. Each artist will be paired with one other artist and visit them in their homeplace. They’ll also all meet collectively online. The focus is on theatre artists based, or with strong creative communities, outside of capital cities.

Who is running it?

Gap Exchange is being run by Irish Theatre Institute (ITI) and Creative Facilitator Lian Bell, in partnership with SPRING Performing Arts Festival (Utrecht, Netherlands), Arts Centre VIERNULVIER (Ghent, Belgium), Bluecoat (Liverpool, England), and the Department of Foreign Affairs. There is more information about these organisations in the document below.

The idea originally developed out of Gap Day, a programme run by Lian Bell and Mermaid Arts Centre since 2016. There will be local Irish partner organisations involved, who will be confirmed when the Irish artists are selected. The programme is funded by the Arts Council’s International Residency Initiatives Scheme.

• Are you curious about making meaningful connections with other artists in Europe?
• Would you like to have the opportunity to share your practice with artists based in Belgium, the Netherlands, and England and learn about theirs?
• Would you like to take time to get to know their local arts community, and invite them to visit yours?
• Are you based outside of the capital, or have you strong connections with an arts community in an area outside the capital?

If so, read the Gap Exchange FAQs document below before completing the application form HERE

Deadline 23rd January.