LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA COLLEGE DANZA CHOREOGRAPHER’S PROGRAM

In 2023, Scott was one of two emerging choreographers selected from a worldwide callout to take part in La Biennale di Venezia College Danza - Choreographer’s Program.

The Biennale College, as part of La Biennale di Venezia, offers exceptional young artists the opportunity to grow exponentially during an intensive 3-month stay in Venice. Each year emerging talents are commissioned to create new work for the Biennale College with curated mentorship from Sir Wayne McGregor CBE.

The initiative is designed to support and champion a new generation of choreographers through hands on experience, including a focus on the ‘business of choreography’ from IP to contracts, getting commissions to working with collaborators - arming artists with the foundational livelihood skills to compose and execute their real-world working portfolio. The program includes daily class, masterclasses, choreographer observer-ships, festival performances/talks and mini-residencies woven into each choreographer’s plan.

The selection is open to artists from all over the world (18+ years) who are early career choreographers with a committed interest in developing their practice. Travel, accommodation, working day lunches and production expenses to the value of €10,000 are organised and paid for by La Biennale di Venezia. Each choreographer also receives a fee of €2,000 for the conception of the piece.

Scott was in Venice from May 8th to July 29th 2023 concluding with the premiere of his new work Mosaic in the Sala delle Colonne at Ca’ Giustinian (Venice Biennale headquarters).

More information about his selection can be found here: https://www.labiennale.org/en/news/biennale-college-danza-2023-selected-dancers-and-choreographers

CATALOGUE STATEMENT

Sir Wayne McGregor CBE - Artistic Director and Mentor of the 2023 Biennale Danza - wrote the following statement in the official catalogue:

“Biennale College Danza is committed to investing in the future generation of choreographic dance talent, through a focus on emerging dance makers. Through co-productions, residencies, and invitations, we can make significant support early for young makers, and facilitate projects they could not easily access without us. This year, two emerging international talents from a pool of 244 applications from 39 different countries, have been selected and are in-residence, developing their practice through this bespoke programme. Scott Elstermann (Australia) and Hai-Wen HSU (Taiwan) have been commissioned to create a new work on the Biennale College dancers, receiving intensive time, space and mentoring for choreographic and conceptual development. These exciting new pieces will be rehearsed at Arsenale and showcased in the Ca’ Giustinian.”

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