Ancestors of the Future: Transcultural belonging through dance

forthcoming

At a time when social division, cultural exclusion, and structural inequity remain embedded in the European performing arts sector, Ancestors of the Future reimagines what it means to create and belong in Europe—by centering BIPoC artists, non-Eurocentric dance and music aesthetics, and body-based, relational creation methods. Four grassroots cultural organizations from Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, and Greece—each with deep community ties—join forces with 26 artists in a peer-led, mixed-race artistic process. A participatory dance performance with live music emerges as a locally responsive, work-in-progress format developed through four site-specific residencies, while strengthening the organisational capacity and international visibility of grassroots partners. The performance challenges conventional notions of artistic excellence and redefines the role of a transcultural audience—moving beyond cultural consumption toward cultural literacy, shared agency, and embodied forms of belonging across difference. In parallel, the project drives structural change through targeted dialogue and advocacy efforts, including an international online conference and structured institutional exchanges. These activities foster mutual learning and yield actionable recommendations for more inclusive programming, leadership, artistic processes, and audience engagement. The project’s co-created methodologies and frameworks are transferable, scalable, and rooted in care—enabling ongoing adaptation and replication beyond the project's lifetime. By bridging grassroots and institutional levels, Ancestors of the Future positions both the format of participatory dance performance as well as its very mode of creation as catalysts for systemic transformation—building resilient ecosystems where artists and audiences become the ancestors of a more inclusive European future, today.