What’s planned for 2026?
STAGE & CIRCULATION
- Small-scale premiere
- Large-scale premiere
- “Performance in Motion” (2 presentations of performances by other operators)
- Presentations (regional, outdoor, indoor)
- Open call (outdoor and indoor, including 1 for children)
DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY & HEALTH
- Choreographic residency
- Akademia Krytyxx
(10 training sessions + consultations) - Workshop
(sustainable production – zero waste) - Community activities
(family workshops, dance parties, silent disco) - Health-promoting activities
(Restorative – a series of 10 sessions) - Meetings with artists
- Krakow Dance Cinema
- Art Cooperative
The “Art Spaces – Dance” program is a nationwide support system for the dance community, based on four complementary pillars: artistic, educational, social, and health-promoting. It is addressed to independent artists working in the field of dance, including interdisciplinary creators.
The program aims to provide access to infrastructure that supports creative work as well as research and production processes, while strengthening relationships between artists, cultural institutions, and local communities. It contributes to building regional dance ecosystems and to the professionalization of the sector.
The program has been running since 2020. It operates in locations across Poland that are particularly active within their regions in the field of culture. During this time, dozens of institutions and NGOs have taken part as program operators or partners.But this edition is special
For the first time in the history of the program, it will be implemented in a three-year cycle, from 2026 to 2028, which will allow operators to carry out their activities in a more stable way. The decision to continue and extend the program was made based on the positive results of the project’s evaluation and in response to the needs expressed by the dance community – says Joanna Szymajda, Director of the National Institute of Music and Dance.
In 2025, through an open call for Operators responsible for implementing the Art Spaces – Dance program in 2026–2028, the following institutions were selected:
- Kielce Dance Theatre
- Art of Dance Development Foundation, Białystok Puppet Theatre, Białystok Cultural Centre
- Teatr KTO in Kraków
- Urban Culture Institute in Gdańsk, Gdańsk Archipelago of Culture
- Bytom Dance and Movement Theatre Rozbark
The selected Operators will carry out activities in line with the objectives of the Program, including announcing open calls, organizing artistic and educational events, running artistic residencies, and implementing social and health-oriented activities.
The regulations define the rules of participation in the Program, the procedures for implementing its activities, the responsibilities of the Operators, and the process for conducting open calls and selecting projects to be carried out within the Program.
Click to view the regulations.
Persons responsible for the implementation of the Program:
Magdalena Zalipska – Head of the Dance Education and Outreach Department
Mariusz Żwierko – Senior Specialist for Dance Education and Outreach, Program Coordinator
tel.: +48 887 507 003
email: przestrzeniesztuki@nimit.pl
FAQ
What activities will be carried out as part of the Art Spaces – Dance – Kraków project?
The Art Spaces – Dance program includes artistic, educational, and social activities that support the development of the dance community.
As part of the program, the following activities will be implemented, among others:
chamber premieres – new dance performances created by small ensembles (up to 5 performers), along with their subsequent presentations,
large-scale premieres – productions developed within the institutional framework of Teatr KTO, which will become part of the theatre’s repertoire,
“performances in motion” – presentations of performances created by other program operators, supporting the nationwide circulation of dance works,
performance presentations – showcases of dance works in theatre spaces and in public space (indoor and outdoor), including performances for younger audiences,
choreographic residencies – time and space for developing creative processes, experimentation, and artistic research, culminating in a work-in-progress presentation.
Educational and development activities
Akademia Krytyxx – a series of workshops and consultations devoted to the analysis of performances,
sustainable production workshops (zero waste) – sessions focused on ecological approaches to scenography, costumes, and performance production,
Krakow Dance Cinema – film screenings,
lectures and meetings with artists – post-performance discussions and meetings that introduce audiences to the creative process.
Social and health-promoting activities
family workshops – movement classes for children and adults that strengthen relationships and shared dance experiences,
“Open Bodies” – workshops in movement improvisation and body work for adults,
senior projects – dance activities for older adults supporting activity and participation in culture,
dance gatherings in the garden – open, intergenerational dance meetings,
silent disco – an event combining music, art, and dance in an immersive shared experience,
Dance for PD – dance workshops for people with Parkinson’s disease,
RESTORATIVE for dancers – a series of regenerative sessions supporting the health and wellbeing of people working with the body.
Art Cooperative
an initiative focused on mapping infrastructure and providing working spaces for independent dance artists.
What does a choreographic residency look like?
As part of the Art Spaces – Dance program in Kraków, choreographic residencies will be organized—creating space for artists who wish to develop their projects and choreographic practice.
What does the residency involve?
A residency is time dedicated to the creative process, experimentation, and artistic research. The program includes a minimum of 14 days of work in a studio space, without the pressure of producing a finished performance.
It is an opportunity to:
• develop ongoing creative processes,
• test new choreographic ideas,
• deepen movement and artistic practice,
• work in a professional rehearsal space.
The residencies will be carried out in cooperation with the program’s partners, including the Krakow Dance Theatre and the Krakow Choreographic Centre.
At the end of each residency, a work-in-progress meeting will take place, during which artists will share the results of their work.
What can participants learn during the zero-waste workshops?
During the two-day workshops, participants will explore practical strategies for ecological thinking in the creative process—from the concept of scenography to the production and long-term use of a performance.
The workshop program includes, among others:
• scenography and costumes created in the spirit of zero waste,
• reuse of materials and upcycling,
• ecological approaches to the production of artistic events,
• practical design of scenographic elements and costumes.
Who is it for?
The workshops are addressed to creators, performance producers, students and graduates of art schools, as well as anyone interested in sustainable production in the performing arts.
What does Dance for PD mean?
Dance for PD are dance classes designed for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
The Dance for PD method is used worldwide and incorporates movement, music, and elements of choreography to support participants’ mobility, coordination, and overall wellbeing.
During the sessions participants:
• work with movement in a safe and supportive atmosphere,
• develop coordination and body awareness,
• experience the joy of dance and music,
• strengthen their sense of community and connection with others.
Who is it for?
For people living with Parkinson’s disease, as well as their family members and caregivers who wish to participate in the classes together.
What are the benefits of participating in the workshops?
• support for health and physical mobility,
• improved wellbeing and self-confidence,
• the opportunity to participate in culture and social life.
Is it worth taking part in the “Open Bodies” workshops?
The “Open Bodies” workshops are movement sessions based on intuitive dance and improvisation. They create a space where participants can pause, listen to their bodies, and explore movement at their own pace.
During the sessions participants:
• explore movement through improvisation,
• develop body and breath awareness,
• experience movement as a form of regeneration and expression,
• discover dance as a way to cultivate mindfulness and connection with themselves.
The workshops create an open and safe space, free from judgment—where curiosity, creativity, and individual movement experience are what matter most.
Who is it for?
For adults interested in movement, dance, and somatic practices, regardless of their level of experience.
What will you gain?
• regeneration and relaxation,
• greater body awareness,
• a new experience of movement and expression.
What does the term RESTORATIVE mean?
As part of the Art Spaces – Dance program in Kraków, a series of RESTORATIVE sessions will be organized—workshops supporting the health and wellbeing of people who work with their bodies.
It is a space for dancers where they can focus on regeneration, body awareness, and injury prevention.
The program includes, among others:
• meetings with physiotherapists and bodywork specialists,
• regenerative and relaxation techniques,
• elements of self-massage and fascia work,
• practices supporting the balance between effort and rest.
Who is it for?
For people who work with the body—especially dancers, performers, and movement artists.
What will you gain?
• tools that support healthy work with the body,
• knowledge about regeneration and injury prevention,
• space for rest and mindfulness.
What is the Art Cooperative?
The Art Cooperative is an initiative that supports collaboration and access to spaces for creators.
The project focuses on mapping Kraków’s cultural infrastructure and building a network of spaces available to artists.
The initiative includes, among others:
• collecting information about spaces for work, rehearsals, and presentations,
• building cooperation between cultural institutions and the artistic community,
• sharing knowledge about available infrastructure with dance artists.
Project goal:
To facilitate artists’ access to spaces for creative work, rehearsals, and presentations, while strengthening collaboration within the dance community.
Who is Akademia Krytyxx for?
Akademia Krytyxx is a series of workshops organized as part of the Art Spaces – Dance program in Kraków, dedicated to developing critical and analytical language in the field of dance.
Who is it for?
For people working in dance and the performing arts—in particular dance critics, theatre scholars, cultural studies researchers, dramaturgs, choreographers, and anyone interested in the analysis of movement-based performances.
What do the workshops look like?
The program includes 30 meetings—a cycle of 10 workshops per year, individual consultations, and lecture performances, led by dance practitioners and theorists.
The workshops include, among others:
• work on critical and review texts,
• analysis of performances presented within the program,
• developing language for describing dance,
• exercises in interpretation, discussion, and formulating opinions,
• creating creative notes and analytical materials.
What are the benefits of participating in the Academy?
• development of critical and analytical competencies,
• individual consultations and feedback on participants’ texts,
• the possibility of publishing selected texts,
• collaboration and exchange of experiences within the dance community.
Creators
Programme operator: KTO Theatre
Initiative: Eryk Makohon (Krakow Dance Theatre)
Concept and implementation developed in close cooperation with the local contemporary dance community:
- Crush on Trash Foundation
(Marta Mietelska–Topór, Agata Kamykowska) - Łagodnie Foundation
(Marta Wołowiec) - Milla Foundation
(Agata Moląg) - Krakow Choreographic Centre
(Agnieszka Barańska–Kozik, Karolina Graca, Aleksandra Honza, Monika Szpunar, Monika Węgrzynowicz) - Krakow Dance Theatre Association
(Paweł Łyskawa, Eryk Makohon, Izabela Zawadzka) - Monika Kiwak
