TRAIN WITH US
Apply to take part in the next Kaimera Lab by January 22
The Kaimera Lab is a unique opportunity for creative people to come together and delve into the processes of creating, producing and presenting new forms of live performance, particularly focusing on work that is immersive, participatory, site-specific and interdisciplinary.
Video edited by Navya Sah. Footage from the 2022 Lab participants and Kaimera team.
WHAT
The Kaimera Lab is a 10-day intensive training facilitated by members of the core team of Kaimera. Following the company’s approach and methodology, the training blends fully participative skill-building and knowledge-sharing sessions, with ample opportunities for experimentation and evaluation. Aimed at international artists, the Kaimera Lab is designed for those with prior experience in these approaches, as well as for those getting their first taste.
Kaimera Lab was a life changing experience immersed in magic in the pure sense of the word. It was an immersion into the beautiful galaxy of outstanding artistic, professional, and human standards that make you want to fly, shine, believe, and endlessly create uniting individuals and communities all over the globe.
Masha Kapustina-Carriou, Russia (Kaimera Lab 2021 & 2022)
WHEN & WHERE
The 2024 Kaimera Lab will take place between May 31-June 9 at the Domaine de la Boderie in Normandy, France. This gorgeous 16th century manor is located in a 12-hectare estate with a pond, meadows and woods, within a protected natural habitat. Beyond its natural beauty, the Domaine de la Boderie has a theater, a dojo, a Japanese pavilion, and a series of other beautiful buildings and exciting places to creatively explore.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Participants take part in a series of learning modules, through which they acquire the tools and skills necessary to create work of their own. Learning objectives include:
- Essentials of immersive performance
- Approach to the creation of site-specific work
- Dramaturgy for immersive, participatory, site-specific performance
- Engaging audiences in an immersive setting
- Exploration of acting and performing skills necessary for participatory, immersive work
Participants also have the opportunity to collaborate with one another and experiment with these challenging forms by creating and presenting original immersive experiences of their own.
The Kaimera Lab culminates with a final performance that permits participants to explore all that they learned while presenting their work to residents in the area where the Kaimera Lab takes place.
A beautifully healing and restorative experience that reminded me of the joy in creating in real time with other multifaceted human beings.
Scout Davis, New York, USA (Kaimera Lab 2021)
Immersive & Participatory:
Immersive and participatory experiences, which have been taking the world by storm, take the audience out of their seats and place them at the center of the playing space. They transform the passive role of the spectator, into that of spect-actor and co-creator who is essential to the action and narrative of the performance. These experiences challenge traditional performance methods and call for a new, more holistic, approach to narrative structure, dramaturgy and ways of performance. At the heart of this training for actors and interdisciplinary performers is the focus on playing with spontaneity and 360° awareness, which is essential when performing in an immersive environment, and when the audience has an integral role within the performance.
In-Situ/Site-Specific:
Artists all over the world are taking their work out of traditional venues and into unconventional and public spaces. The Kaimera team, with its international experience of creating work in site-specific locations, does so for two reasons: first, it allows for greater, more diverse audiences, especially those who may not feel that traditional arts spaces are accessible to them; second, these spaces don’t come with pre-existing rules for engagement and behavior, thus opening up infinite possibilities for participation. The site of the training will provide ample opportunity for participants to experiment with a wide range of indoor and outdoor spaces.
A nourishing nest for embodied creativity, connection and experimentation.
Félicia Dotse, France (Kaimera Lab 2022 & 2023)
*****
It was a laboratory of creative wonders inspiring us dig into our imagination, collaborate with artists from around the world and share openly. I feel creatively nourished and full of ideas and techniques to put into practice. Thank you Kaimera team!
Anatolia H.K, Australia (Kaimera Lab 2023)
FOR WHOM
The training is designed for artists of all disciplines, particularly performing artists, narrative & experience designers and interdisciplinary artists. Students with a strong track record and commitment are also eligible to apply.
Aligned with Kaimera’s goal of using our work to build bridges between citizens of all corners of the world, this training is open to international artists with the aims of creating connections, fostering dialogue, and encouraging collaborations.
LANGUAGE
The training is facilitated in English, yet artists are encouraged to perform in any language when working on scenes, compositions or the final performance.
ABOUT KAIMERA
Kaimera is a live arts company based in New York and Paris, which creates and produces original performances and immersive experiences that blend theatre, music, dance, multimedia and the visual arts. Kaimera’s cross-disciplinary projects are often presented in public spaces and unconventional settings and its work is of international scope, yet simultaneously deeply rooted in the communities we work with.
With over 20 years of teaching experience, education is an integral part of our work and we lead sessions, workshops and intensives on immersive practice and participatory creation processes to professional artists and cultural organisations, as well as to schools and universities.
Kaimera’s holistic approach to its work is aimed at creating spaces where people can gather in dialogue and engage with the topics at hand, as well as with one another, every step of the way. We deeply believe that the arts are a powerful tool that have the ability to provoke meaningful and durable cultural shifts, and that developing work collaboratively and across borders is essential in order to tackle the rapid changes our world is undergoing.
FEES
Training cost: From €1750
Food and accommodation: From €350
Funding Support: Those in France intending to receive support from Afdas or Pôle emploi, or others applying for funding support, please email education@kaimeraproduction.com.
Scholarships: Kaimera strives to be as inclusive as possible. For participants not receiving any external financial assistance, as well as for those traveling from afar, scholarships will be offered on a case-by-case basis. All scholarship requests must be made though this form no later than the Kaimera Lab application deadline of January 22, 2024.
Transportation: Participants are responsible for their own transportation to the Domaine de la Boderie, which is approximately 2.5 hours from Paris. Our team can provide advice on transportation options, as well as arrange pick-up from the Flers SNCF train station.
Health & Safety: Any required protocols related to health and safety will be shared with the participants before their travel based on up-to-date recommendations.
Cancellation Policy: If you cancel your participation due to health reasons, payment(s) will be refunded in full (excluding non-recoverable costs, such as bank charges) upon submission of a medical certificate. If you decide to cancel your participation for any other reason, the deposit payment is non-refundable and all other payment(s), if any made, will be refunded (excluding non-recoverable costs such as bank charges).
HOW TO APPLY
Applications to the Kaimera Lab 2023 are accepted only through the online form below until January 22, 2024. Selected participants will hear from us by February 28 at the latest.
For questions related to accessibility, please don't hesitate to reach out to us for information. We are committed to making our activities accessible for everyone and will do our best to make special provisions where needed, in order to best meet your needs.
You may contact us at education@kaimeraproductions.com.
We hope that you will be able to join us at the Kaimera Lab and connect with artists and creatives from far and wide!
This page was last updated on November 15, 2023.
