Movement and Virtual Intelligence for the Development and Accessibility of Artists and Audiences (MOVIDA) aims to explore the possibilities for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies in contemporary dance to: build capacity for artists; use these technologies for audience development and engagement; and improve accessibility for persons with disabilities and mental health issues.
Recent developments in AI, particularly Virtual Intelligence, the combination of AI, Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR); and Embodied AI, the integration of AI into physical systems through robotics; provide dancers with a new world of possibilities for their artistic development.
These developments can enable novel and engaging experiences for audiences, combining dance with AI technologies including VR/AR, robotics and audience interaction – expanding and renewing the audiences for contemporary dance.
AI can also assist performers and audience members with disabilities and mental health issues to adapt technology to their own individual special needs.
MOVIDA is also concerned with the ethical and responsible applications of AI, namely regarding copyright, data ownership, job disruption and environmental impact. MOVIDA will pursue a human-centred AI approach and will contribute to reflection and discussion around responsible AI for the creative and cultural sectors in the EU, from a dance perspective.
MOVIDA is a multidisciplinary project, coordinated by Tallinn University. MOVIDA partners will run multiple activities to engage with artists and audiences: Labs, Residencies, Showcases, Forums, Podcasts and an online Knowledge & Tools Hub. To promote synergies between art and technology, the consortium is composed of 11 partners: 5 dance centers; 4 academic institutions (universities) with expertise in AI and media art; and 2 institutions in the field of mental health and disability (accessibility partners); across 5 countries.
The dance centers are:
- Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava (STL, Estonia),
- Tanzhaus NRW (Germany),
- O Espaço do Tempo (OEDT, Portugal),
- Centrul Național al Dansului București (CNDB, Romania) and
- Antistatic (Bulgaria).
The academic institutions are:
- Tallinn University (TLU, Estonia),
- Hochschule Düsseldorf (HSD, Germany),
- Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI, Portugal) and
- Universitatea Naţională de Artă Teatrală și Cinematografică “I.L. Caragiale” din București (UNATC, Romania).
The 2 institutions in the field of mental health and disability (associated partners) are:
MOVIDA is a 3-year project, running from 1/April 2026 to 31/March 2029. MOVIDA is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, with €1 million (70% of the total project budget). Grant Number: 101255836-CREA-CULT-2025-COOP-2
MOVIDA is a follow-up project to MODINA (2023-26) and Moving Digits (2018-20), which were also co-funded by Creative Europe, and share several partners in common.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.