Q&A

How many projects will be selected?

A: This Open Call is intended for creations in the performing arts, provided they are designed for large-scale stages and fulfill the established criteria. This process is exploratory in nature and aims to sound out the sector, without any binding obligation to make a selection. Therefore, one, several, or no proposals may be chosen to be part of Culturgest's Scaling Up programme in 2027 and 2028.

How many creative proposals can each artist/company submit?

This is merely an exploratory open call, so each artist or company may submit as many proposals as they deem appropriate, as long as all of them fulfil the defined criteria.

How many projects might be selected for the second phase, the conversation with a limited number of shortlisted projects?

Since this is merely a public consultation, the selection of projects for the second phase will be made by the artistic board based on how well the proposals align with the objectives of the Scaling Up programme. There is no predetermined minimum or maximum number of projects to be selected.

How will the submitted projects be assessed?

Once their compliance with the criteria of the Scaling Up programme is verified, namely the requirement for large-scale projects, the proposals will be assessed by Culturgest's programming team.

Will projects that are not selected for the second phase or not programmed be archived by Culturgest?

Culturgest agrees to archive the projects received in this Open Call for up to six months after the application deadline. After that period, the archives will be deleted in order to guarantee the integrity of the submitted projects.

Can projects that are not selected or programmed be shared with other people or organisations?

No. None of the proposals received through this Open Call will be shared with third parties outside the institution.

What does the financial support for the Scaling Up programme consist of?

A: Through the Scaling Up programme, Culturgest will fund selected productions (if any) with a minimum of €70,000.00. This support may cover funding and participation in several areas, such as co-production, hiring artistic advisors/outside eyes, artistic and technical residencies, rehearsal spaces, accessibility resources, communication, and tour support, among others. The specific needs of each budget will be discussed individually with the selected projects.

Will the projects selected for the second phase be announced publicly? What about those that are programmed later?

A: As this is merely a public consultation, there will be no public announcement. Projects selected for second phase will be contacted individually. Projects not selected will receive a private response thanking them for their submission. Since this is a process of sounding out the sector, no public announcement of the selection results is planned.

Will all the submitted proposals receive a response?

Yes.

How long can we expect to wait for a response?

All applicants will receive a response within three months after the application deadline.

Does a contemporary circus project fit into this Performing Arts Open Call?

Yes. This is not a selection process, so you may submit contemporary circus proposals to this Open Call, as it is an effective way to publicise your projects.

We have already  developed or are currently developing a creative project programmed at Culturgest. Can we still submit a proposal for this call?

A: The Scaling Up programme can only support each artist or company once. If you have already benefited from this support, you will not be eligible again. However, you may still submit a proposal to this Open Call, as a way of publicising your projects.

Are there any specific themes or topics that should be considered in the proposals?

This Open Call does not impose any specific themes. However, applicants may find it useful to research Culturgest's programming to better understand the thematic diversity that characterises it.

Projects must be designed for theatres with a capacity of 400 seats or more. Does this mean we can't submit a site-specificwork?

There are a number of prerequisites for this public consultation; the large scale requirement also applies to the size of the audience. Therefore, projects must be designed for theatres with a capacity of 400 or more seats. This requirement also applies to site-specificvenues that may be included in the proposal.

Are there any regulations regarding this public consultation?

The prerequisites for this public consultation that will sound out the sector can be found at https://www.culturgest.pt/en/whats-on/open-call-project-proposals-performing-arts/.