Netzwerk TanzPlusSüd: OPEN CALL
Call for applications for this year’s 4exchange+ 2026 exchange residencies
The network has a new name and is inviting applications for its annual residency programme:
The application period for the 2026 residencies opens on 2 April 2026 with the open call. 4exchange+ enables one artist or company from each of the six partner cities to spend seven to nine days in one of the other five partner cities, working on the realisation of a submitted artistic concept.
Dance professionals based in one of the participating cities can apply until 30 April 2026. A jury comprising representatives from the collaborating institutions (Tanzzentrale der Region Nürnberg e.V., Tanztendenz München e.V., EinTanzHaus e.V. and Schwindelfrei Festival Mannheim, Tanznetz Freiburg gUG, Produktionszentrum Tanz + Performance e.V. Stuttgart and CONdance e.V. Bamberg) will select, from the applications received, the artists who will be able to explore and enrich the dance scenes of the partner cities from July onwards. The focus is on supporting artists at different stages of their creative careers and fostering an intensive exchange between them.
CLICK HERE FOR THE OPEN CALL (in German)
TanzPlusSüd is a supra-regional alliance of institutions from the independent dance scenes in Nuremberg, Munich, Mannheim, Freiburg, Stuttgart and Bamberg. The common thread linking them is that each institution has its roots in the independent dance scene. The resulting close ties to the artists are a key characteristic of both the network’s member institutions and the network itself. Together, they are committed to creating the structural conditions for sustainable artistic exchange and strengthening the position of contemporary dance in southern Germany. The cornerstone of the network’s activities is the ‘4exchange+’ exchange residency programme, which it will be running for the fifth consecutive year in 2026.
In all participating cities, residents will be integrated into existing structures such as training sessions, workshops, festivals and other activities. Each residency will feature showings and/or lecture demonstrations that are not exclusively reserved for industry professionals. The aim is, above all, to offer the general public with an interest in dance and performance an insight into the dance scene in southern Germany.
Achievements and Outlook
The 4exchange+ residency programme, which is funded by the Bavarian State Association for Contemporary Dance (BLZT), has developed into a significant platform for dance professionals in southern Germany. In recent years, it has already helped around a dozen dance productions get off to a successful start. “The network’s structural work fosters important synergies, increases visibility and enhances the appeal of dance beyond the borders of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg,” says Anika Maßmann, co-project manager of TanzPlusSüd. In addition to the operational needs of the scene, TanzPlusSüd is primarily dedicated to addressing structural challenges. Thanks to the network funding received from the Performing Arts Fund for the project period from June 2025 to July 2026, the network will be able to step up its lobbying efforts.
Last August, a round-table discussion was held with representatives from the cultural departments of Munich, Nuremberg, Mannheim, Freiburg and LaFT BW to discuss the network’s future direction and financial prospects – including the move towards securing long-term funding through a TANZPAKT application for 2027. Various working meetings are being planned to facilitate personal exchange between the network partners, artists from the independent scene, institutions and administrative bodies. In the summer of 2026, the major network day will take place as part of the Schwindelfrei Festival – Dance, Theatre, Performance+ in Mannheim. Further information on the network’s activities can be obtained from the project organiser, Tanzzentrale der Region Nürnberg e.V., at info@tanzzentrale.de.
