Who can apply?

Solo self-employed in dance - graduates with a state-recognised degree in dance are eligible to apply. As a rule, the degree must not have been awarded more than two years ago (January 2019). Applicants must be resident in Germany.

Only graduates who wish to carry out a project as a solo dance practitioner may apply. It is not possible to participate in an ensemble as a graduate through the DIS-TANZ-SOLO funding programme.

In this case, please inform yourself about the new funding programme DIS-TANZ-START.

What is DIS-TANZ-START?

With the DIS-TANZ-START funding programme, the Dachverband Tanz Deutschland enables young dancers to join the professional dance scene in Germany after their education. In times when auditioning, taking classes, presenting performances and running projects is only possible in a very limited extent due to the pandemic, the aim is to let as many graduates or starting professionals as possible become members of dance and ballet ensembles of German public theatres as well of established companies of the German independent dance scene and (production) houses, temporarily and subject to social insurance.

The young dancers gain their first experience as a member of a company, develop their dance technique, self-confidence, fitness and creativity, and are thus trained and prepared for future opportunities as professional dancers.

What can be applied for? 

The object of funding is the work of solo independent dance practitioners on a project in which, for example, their own working methods are developed and reflected upon, innovative fields are tried out and new methods or theories are learned. The project can include research and development of new content as well as active training and is intended to support graduates' entry into professional life in the independent dance scene as solo independent dance professionals.  The project must be carried out and developed independently; it is not possible to be part of an ensemble.

What cannot be applied for?
Productions cannot be financed with the funds from the fifth round of calls for proposals. The focus of this call for proposals is on transformation processes and is intended to support dance-makers in their research, further education and conception projects. 

How much funding can be applied for?  

A total of min. 3,000€ and max. 12,500€ for min. 2 to max. 6 months. 

How is the grant calculated?

The monthly workload is calculated independently in the application: The basis for this is the lower fee limit of €2,490 per month recommended by the Federal Association for the Performing Arts. The work on the project is calculated according to time spent as follows:

little (one day per week, 500€; minimum 6 months)
partly (2 days per week, 1.000€, minimum 3 months) 
more than half of your working time (3 days per week, 1.500€, minimum 2 months) 
full time (5 days per week, 2.500€, minimum 5 months) 

Is co-financing a prerequisite? 

No co-funding is required for DIS-TANZ-SOLO, it is a full funding.

When is the application deadline?

The application deadline is 12 September 2022 (23:59 CET).

In which period can the project be implemented? 

From 1 February 2023 to 30 June 2023 (including a maximum of six months).

In which language will the application be submitted? 

The application for DIS-TANZ-SOLO can be submitted in German or English.

Here you will find all the information you need to prepare your application from 22 August 2022.
To prepare your application, you will need the following documents and papers:

• Proof of residence in Germany:
  Please upload a scan of your identity card or passport (front and back). If the identity document does not show residence in Germany, please also attach a certificate of registration.
   
• Description of your project:
  The application includes both a
  • short description (500 characters) and a
  • detailed description (3000 characters) of the project, these are obligatory.
  • Optionally,you have the possibility to supplement your project description with a video in which you briefly introduce yourself and your proposed project. The video does not replace the project description, but merely offers another form of presentation of the project content if you feel uncertain about the written project description and serves to break down barriers.
    The video must not exceed a maximum length of 3 minutes. You can post your video on the YouTube or Vimeo platforms. The video must be made private and protected with a password. Please enter the password in the online form when submitting your application. When using Vimeo, please note the setting "Rating for all audiences" so that access from outside can be guaranteed at any time even without a Vimeo account. Help with the settings can be found here.
     
• Proof of personal professional activity in the dance field: 
  Please upload your current CV as a PDF file (max. 1 DIN A4 page).
   
• Proof of a degree in dance in the last three years (usually since 2019):
  
  The degree from an institution of higher education or a state-recognised dance training programme must generally have been obtained within the last three years (from 2019) in Germany.
   
• Please upload a scan of your certificate of a state-recognised degree in dance, choreography or dance education. The document must clearly show the date of graduation.
  
  If your formal degree is imminent, please upload a recent Transcript of Records showing that your degree is imminent (semester of study/year of training). The date of issue must be clearly visible on your scan.
  
  In justified exceptional cases (e.g. suspension due to parental leave, illness. or similar), graduation may also have taken place before 2019; please contact the counselling service about this.
   
• Proof of participation in at least one artistic (dance) project since or during graduation:
  As evidence of your significant involvement in at least one artistic dance project, dance production or dance education project since graduation or during training, you can use, for example, scans of programmes, press releases, newspaper articles or websites. Written confirmations from production venues, artistic directors and dance education institutions or dance schools can also be used as evidence.
• For further questions, please see the FAQs.

Looking back at the jury discussions in the previous rounds of the call for proposals, we would like to give you a few hints on how to describe your project:

• The short description contains the objectives and the most important aspects of the project (topics or methods, starting point, goal) in brief keywords.
• The detailed description should then provide an insight into your current biographical and artistic position as well as your concrete project.
• The funding is designed to ensure that the focus of the project is on your own work and that your own working time is funded with a monthly amount. It is possible to involve other dance professionals / experts in the project. This collaboration can be included in the project description, as can the description of fair and appropriate remuneration for the artists and experts involved.

The following questions can help you in the conception of your project description. Depending on the focus of the project, different questions are relevant:

• What is your current situation (biographical, artistic)?
• What is the reasoning behind the decision for your project?
• Why did you decide on the topic or working method (artistic method, research, archiving, etc.)?
• How is the subject/the working method connected to your (artistic) practice?
• At what stage of development is your project?
• What development should the project go through during the funding period? (Prototype, implementation, reflection/finalisation)
• What experience can you draw on in this field/way of working, or with which experts do you work?
• If you are working with other people, how are they involved? To what extent will the project provide you with a better working basis in the future?
• What relevance and sustainability does your project have for your own artistic work?
• What added value could your project create for the dance scene?