EDN member Maison de la Danse, Lyon (France) hosted Carte Blanche for Artists in the framework of Cellule d´Essai.

Cellule d'Essai is an initiative from Lyon-based choreographers Lola Maury & Benjamin Coyle. It proposed a relaxed frame for artists & choreographers to come together and exchange their artistic practices in a non-hierarchical way. It was not production-focused and has been seen as a window to consider the nature of our work and processes. The three days belonged to the group, deciding on directions, interests to follow and ways to work together. 

Lola Maury & Benjamin Coyle were interested in meeting choreographers who have an interest in reacting to the following open questions: “What support, spaces or infrastructures do our practices need today?” and “In what spaces and imaginations might choreography exist and get activated?”

They were looking for artists-choreographers whose profile fit some or all of this:

• Are interested in choreographic research outside of economies and logics of production;
• Are critical and want to actively question their creative tools, processes and strategies;
• Are willing to reflect on their artistic practice in relation to the broader current choreographic field;
• Want to reflect on the production and touring models they are part of;
• Are independent, pro-active and curious;
• Are interested in the porous nature of the choreographic and have practices that might be challenging traditional notions of disciplines or aesthetics;
• Whose practices are hybrid and therefore might challenge current production models.

Three days Carte Blanche for Artists has described in a Cellule d'Essai's report, available here.