EU Dance Hack is a 2-year research project made possible by financial support from the EU Creative Europe – European Cooperation strand. This project is about taking the methods that have been developed in Oulu Dance Hack and applying them in the context of other European cities. The dance/tech team at TaikaBox has been running Oulu Dance Hack in Northern Finland since 2016 and will be sharing their knowledge with Central Europe Dance Theatre in Hungary and Developing Art in Romania to create the first Budapest Dance Hack in November 2024 and Bucharest Dance Hack in April 2025.

 

Each Dance Hack is a residency intensive where international dance artists gather to spend a week in the studio with creative technologists, dance/tech experts, musicians, engineers and educators. It is designed to be a safe space for experimentation, with the emphasis on practical collaboration. The whole team works together to explore new technology in a performance context. Participants are chosen through an open call process.

The project aims to build capacity within the dance/technology sector across Europe, creating a network of specialists who can support dance artists in their journey to incorporate technology into their practice. It is also a method for bringing together businesses and cultural organisations in an environment that is mutually beneficial. Oulu has been selected as a European Capital of Culture in 2026 and Oulu Dance Hack will be part of the Autumn programme.

 

EU Dance Hack is a sustainable project; there are no flights involved and equipment is resourced through partnerships with local businesses and universities. The carbon footprint of the project is calculated and compensated.