The project “Embodied Learning: Dance to empower the local community” aimed at strengthening our organisation’s capacity, supporting our teaching staff's development, and enriching our learners' educational experiences. Our non-teaching staff built new skills in teamwork and community engagement, our teaching staff was introduced to new pedagogical methods to enhance the quality of their classes and community projects, and our learners gained broader perspectives through peer-to-peer learning. Overall, the project encouraged professional growth, diverse learning approaches, and international networking and successfully contributed to the sustainable development of our organisation.
The positive response of our staff and learners was overwhelming, and as we are now reflecting on the project, we have come to understand its significant importance as well as its results reaching beyond the impact of the individual participants. The project empowered our organisation, team, teachers, and learners, and enriched their experience, which is now being further implemented in our regular activities. The biggest learning outcome is how international educational mobilities inspire and encourage our local organisation to diversify, absorb international knowledge, and insist on peer-to-peer learning. Further beyond our organisation, the project inspired new, independent collaborations among learners, initiated new learning opportunities outside of our organisation, as well as learning outcomes implemented at international organisations.
- Fabryka Sztuki, Poland
- ImPulsTanz / Wiener Tanzwochen, Austria
- Architecture Faculty of Technical University, Prague
- NuQi Dance Centre, Nuuk, Greenland
- Kik Malone, Zagreb, Croatia – Non-teaching Mobility
- Gaia Terra, eco village, Italy – Learners Group Mobility
My job-shadowing trip to Fabryka Sztuki in Łódź, Poland was a valuable learning and growing experience for me as an emerging dance artist. Together with Basia and the team, I was able to gain hands-on experience through the execution of my work. This experience improved my communication and working methods and has equipped me with new skills and perspectives. I was extremely impressed by their dedication and commitment to my artistic vision. It was educational to find out how the organisation works internally, and the many relationships it fosters with international independent artists, instructors and facilitators. While on this job shadowing trip, I can definitely say I grew and expanded my international network by meeting and connecting with different individuals through our collective meeting point at Fabryka Sztuki. I am excited by the new methods and self-growth the trip has brought about, and look forward to implementing them in my teaching and execution of future projects. Thank you!
by Katie Hitchcock
In July 2025, I participated in a workshop, “A Carpet of Lungs” by Veza Fernandez & Oneka von Schrader in the ImPulsTanz festival in Vienna. My goals for the trip were to gain deeper knowledge on somatic work in dance and performance contexts, learning to connect to my voice as well as observe the teaching methods the two teachers have together. Throughout the workshop, I gathered experiences, exercises and tools for teaching dance and for understanding movement, moments and methods in performing. Over the course of one week, we were diving into the “supersomatic”; researching our voice in connection to our awareness of our organs and movement/emotions connected to them. We also practised stage work and being watched while being deep in somatic experiencing, which gave me a lot of insight into the multitude of my awareness. The two facilitators created a beautiful and safe space for vulnerability, openness and connections to exist, which gave perfect possibilities for learning to take space. I’m excited to use everything I learned during the workshop in my own teaching as well as my work as a performer. I highly recommend this workshop with these two beautiful people!
July 2025
by Meeri Mäkinen
In August 2025, I could take part in a summer school workshop co-organised by the Architecture department of AVU in Prague. My goal was to work not only with the theme of the workshop, but also to observe how the workshop was structured, how the facilitators organised, and the topics introduced to us. The main objective of this exploration was to understand and feel how the scale of the strata under Prague relates to us humans and how we perceive time. Over the 10 days, we worked within specific scales: The object scale, the valley scale, and the terrain scale. Through those lenses, we dug up fossils, 3D-scanned the environment and looked at the extensive archive of Joachim Barrand, a collector and geological pioneer of Prague. Our aim was to create a fiction that translates an aspect of our exploration.
August 2025
by Janosch Bela Kratz
I had a lovely experience orienting myself around NuQi Dance Centre. Getting familiar with the culture around dance, dance artists based in Greenland and young aspiring dancers in Nuuk. Offering training and observing classes gave me insight and a closer relationship with the people I met. Most of all, during this experience, I got educated on Greenlandic history, its differences and similarities to Iceland. And an idea of what it means to be or become a dancer in Greenland. What are the things the young dancers dream of, desire and need and most of all, what they bring to the table? It was a beautiful trip, surprisingly sunny at times. My mobility experience in Nuuk was a great opportunity to gain a more realistic view of daily life in Greenland. It helped me understand what it means to develop as a dancer there, what possibilities exist within the local dance scene, and how young dancers at NuQi Dance Centre experience and express themselves through dance. Seeing their creativity up close was inspiring. I became more familiar with cultural institutions in Nuuk, which might be helpful for future collaborations, and it was lovely to meet those I had been in contact with before online in real life. The quality and organisation of the mobility were excellent. Everything ran smoothly. I felt welcomed and supported throughout my time in Nuuk. Another important part of the experience was learning more about Greenland’s history and its colonisation by Denmark. This gave me a deeper understanding and reflection on the shared historical ties between Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands. Overall, this mobility has expanded my perspective as both an artist and a person. It strengthened my understanding of the Nordic dance community, gave me valuable contacts for future work, and inspired me to share knowledge and learn across borders.
August 2025
by Linde Hanna Rongen
Thank you, Zagreb! We had such an inspiring time reflecting, researching, improvising, and learning. Thank you to all the kind people, artists, and spaces that welcomed us with curiosity!
In September, we travelled to Zagreb, Croatia, to reflect on our goals for 2026/27, to collaborate with Kik Malone, to learn about team management, and to be inspired on how to make Improv for Dance Enthusiasts more inclusive, mindful, and socially engaged. We experienced trust and creativity within the team and returned refreshed with practical tools and motivation to continue offering adult learning opportunities.
September 2025
by Dance Enthusiasts
I really enjoyed travelling to Gaia Terra, Italy, together with eight of our learners. It was fantastic to witness their learning development and active engagement with the hosting organisation. I particularly enjoyed the peer-to-peer learning aspects between volunteers, learners, teachers, and accompanying staff. I’m impressed by the fermentation score booklet we created collectively, and how it allowed for a synergetic learning environment to emerge.
July 2025
by Yelena Arakelow
