SPACES & RESIDENCIES
At the heart of agora now is the belief that we need new ways to come together, to create spaces for calm questioning, deep listening, experimentation, and new imaginaries. These permanent and mobile spaces can provide vital time and space to artists, establishing residencies with real connections to local citizens, which can then become lasting hubs of investigation.
We started our first pilot in Rotterdam in November 2023 and our Buenos Aires hub in April 2024. During 2024, our two city hubs and agora now’s project Liquid Becomings will offer 35 residencies.
Liquid Becomings
The European Pavilion 2024
Liquid Becomings is our impermanent, nomadic space; four boats will sail on four European rivers, with their crews of resident artists coming together with communities along the way.
This is the European Pavilion 2024 and you can read more about it here.
Rotterdam
Our Rotterdam pilot began in November 2023 with Dutch/Cape Verdean spoken word and jazz artist Kenny Gomes, and Dutch-based Polish music theatre and opera artist Maria Magdalena Kozłowska taking time to work on their practice, coming together with local communities, and performing over three months.
An artist faculty made up of Kenny and Maria plus spoken word artist Y.M.P; guitarist and composer Aart Strootman; artist, researcher and interventionist Merel Smith, and choreographer, researcher and performer Floor van Leeuwen will curate a public programme sharing their artistic ideas and practices in informal settings in the city between May and September 2024.
You can read more about the Rotterdam pilot here, and watch Kenny and Maria in conversation with agora now founder Naomi Russell here.
Buenos Aires
Agora now’s first south-south residency saw the electrifying Mozambican dancer and choreographer Idio Chicheva in Buenos Aires hosted by our partner in BA Planta Inclan led by Juan Onofri Barbato and Elisa Carricajo. Idio simultaneously developed his research in residence at Planta Inclan and with communities in the southern area of the city.
Local artists had the opportunity to enjoy free training and research experience looking at the topic: what dance for what space? The project created a deep connection between bodily expression and diverse urban spaces through practical improvisation, instant composition, and interpretation – using traditional Mozambican dance as its inspiration.
Read the personal reflections of agora founder Naomi Russell on the importance of this south-south residency here.