Following the open call launched in July 2026, ten artists—one from each partner country—have been selected to take part in Wave 2 of DRIFT, a programme dedicated to experimentation, reflection and professional development.

Applications for DRIFT Wave 2 submitted by artists based in Portugal were assessed by the Materiais Diversos team, namely Cristina Planas Leitão, Artistic Director and Co-Executive Director (Jury Chair), Sara Abrantes, Co-Executive Director and Production Director, and Catarina Rebelo, Communication Coordinator.

Following the selection of a shortlist, Piny, an artist accompanied by MD and a DRIFT Wave 1 artist, joined the process to support the definition of the shortlist’s order of priority, which was subsequently presented and discussed with all the project partners.

Selected artists – Wave 2

• Svitlana Oleksiuk (Ukraine)
• Roza Moshtaghi (Norway)
• Ana Pi (France)
• Elvan Tekin (Germany)
• Ioanna Paraskevopoulou (Greece)
• Yinka Esi Graves (Spain)
• Gaya de Medeiros (Portugal)
• Sorelle di Damiano – Simona Tedeschini / Sofia Pazzocco (Italy)
• Mercedes Dassy (Belgium)
• Oumaima Manai (Tunisia)

What DRIFT Offers

Each selected artist will benefit from:

• €20,000 for the research phase
• Three Online Labs
• Participation in the DRIFT Showcase
• Artistic and curatorial mentoring
• Professional networking and international visibility

In a second phase, five of the ten selected artists will be invited to develop their work through co-production support, with access to touring opportunities across the DRIFT network in Europe and beyond.

What’s Next

30 November–1 December 2026: Kick-off meeting in Berlin
November 2026–September 2027: Research period, residencies and Online Labs
18–21 March 2027: Festival Lab in Tunis
18–25 September 2027: DRIFT Showcase at the Biennale de la danse in Lyon

The European project DRIFT – Dance and Research In the Future Time is a programme dedicated to research, support and artistic development for mid-career choreographic and interdisciplinary artists. It is led by an international consortium of festivals and cultural institutions, of which Materiais Diversos is a partner, alongside:

• Théâtre de Liège (BE)
• Maison de la Danse (FR)
• Onassis Stegi (GR)
• BIT Teatergarasjen (NO)
• HAU / Tanz im August (DE)
• Mercat de les Flors (ES)
• Short Theatre (IT)
• Al Badil (TN)
• Ukrainian Dance Platform (UA)

and associated partners:

• Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse No.1 (JP)
• Panorama Festival (BR)
• Kinani Festival (MZ)

DRIFT aims to:

• recognise and remunerate time dedicated to artistic research;
• support the expansion and international circulation of artistic projects;
• strengthen the links between creation, research, dissemination and social contexts;
• propose a more sustainable, fair and structural model for both artists and festivals.

Supported artist — Wave 1

• Daria Hordiichuk (Ukraine)
• Ole Martin Meland (Norway)
• Malika Djardi (France)
• Sheena McGrandles (Germany)
• Christiana Kosiari (Greece)
• Paloma Muñoz (Spain)
• Piny (Portugal)
• Miranda Secondari (Italy)
• Guilhem Chatir (Belgium)
• Moayed Elghazouani (Tunisia)

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.