Zaimon Vilmanis participated in the Annual SloveniaCroatia-Australia Artists Exchange (SCADE), a sixweek cultural and artistic residency between four experimental dance artists from Slovenia, Croatia and Australia (Brisbane and Darwin).
Zaimon also attended the NagiB Contemporary Dance Festival in Maribor, Slovenia which invites emerging talents in the field of contemporary dance and performance from Slovenia and abroad to present their work.
Through participation in these events, Zaimon improved his improvisational skills and acquired a clearer understanding of the artistic landscapes in Darwin, Australia and Slovenia. From discussions with leading dance professionals and producers Zaimon also gained a better understanding of where his work is positioned in relation to others.
The SCADE residency and NagiB Festival allowed Zaimon to extend his dance practice and to increase awareness about his practice and his company Prying Eye.
April to October 2014
Brisbane, Croatia, Slovenia
$7000 – Individuals Fund
Zaimon found that the set structure during the NagiB Festival's incubator residency encouraged in-depth research and creative exploration:
Having clear objectives for everybody to achieve each day helped me to engage in a greater depth of artistic exchange. A communal dinner each evening sparked a great degree of conversation and formed the most genuine and meaningful long term relationships of the project. This fortnight was my highlight of the SCADE program.
Ready access to studio space and the opportunity to focus on his practice was also found to be invaluable. Zaimon was able to explore, research and reflect and able to:
At the end of the SCADE program, Zaimon took the opportunity to pursue his own activities and follow up some new connections:
Hiring a campervan during this time gave me increased flexibility to travel whenever I needed to and meant that I was able to associate with lots of people, see numerous performances, as well as teach workshops all within a limited timeframe. During this time I gained greater insight of the Slovenian and Croatian contemporary dance landscapes and was able to increase awareness amongst the Croation and Slovenian arts industry about my company Prying Eye, my work, and my practice.
Website: www.pryingeye.org
Videos of SCADE 2014 and NagiB Festival 2014
A pdf version of Zaimon's experience (PDF) (307.33 KB) are available .