Over the decades, En–Knap has built and maintained an ongoing network of international collaborations, co-productions and touring activities. It participates in European platforms that shape European and regional development of contemporary dance, including Aerowaves, Pan-Adria, IETM and Moving Balkans, while also taking place in local audience-development initiatives such as Audience Assembly, “Tovariški abonma” subscription programme. Through these networks, En–Knap ensures a continuous circulation of works into the Slovenian context while supporting the visibility of Slovenian contemporary dance on regional and European stages.
Networks. Touring, co-producing, hosting, initiating.
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Pan-Adria. Co-production and touring in the Adriatic region.
Initiating partner since 2019
Pan-Adria is a network of contemporary dance institutions from the Adriatic, Pannonian and Alpine regions, connecting six partners from Slovenia, Croatia and Northern Italy. Dedicated to strengthening collaboration, artistic exchange, production, circulation, visibility and the impact of contemporary dance, the network supports artists through co-production funding, production and touring opportunities, shared resources and coordinated promotion.
The network brings together En–Knap (Ljubljana), Flota Institute (Murska Sobota), Zagreb Dance Centre (Zagreb), Mediterranean Dance Centre (Svetvinčenat), Artisti Associati (Gorizia) and the City of Vicenza Municipal Theatre Foundation.
Synergies created through co-productions, production exchanges, shared international touring, platform crossovers, collaborations on virtual reality projects and residencies among Pan-Adria partners give the network a value that extends beyond the network itself.
Each year, Pan-Adria partners launch an international open call for a contemporary dance project by an established artist or collective from the region whose work engages with innovative, transformative and sustainable artistic approaches. The network's primary objective is not to support emerging artists, but to improve touring conditions, circulation and the long-term life of professional contemporary dance productions across the region.
Through sustained collaboration among partner organisations, Pan-Adria supports regional exchange while creating stronger conditions for artistic mobility and audience development.
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Moving Balkans. Mapping, connecting and internationalising the Balkan dance scene.
Co-founding partner since 2024
Moving Balkans Contemporary Dance Platform is a dynamic collaboration of dance professionals from across the Balkans. The mission of the platform is to elevate contemporary dance in the region and position it more competitevely within the European cultural landscape.
Through a regional partnership network, showcase festivals, artist mobility initiatives, workshops, co-creations and capacity-building activities, Moving Balkans empowers dance professionals and raises awareness of the vibrant and diverse dance scene flourishing across the Balkans. The platform also explores more sustainable models of circulation, including digital and virtual formats that enable artistic exchange and touring between partner institutions while reducing environmental impact.
At the heart of the platform is a network of partner organisations, each playing a key role in shaping the contemporary dance landscape of the region. In alphabetical order, the partners are: Albania Dance Meeting (AL), Art Link Foundation (BG), Contemporary Dance Association Slovenia (SI), Croatian Cultural Center Rijeka (HR), Croatian Institute for Movement and Dance (HR), DAN.C.CE UNITIVA (GR), EN–KNAP (SI), Interart Culture Center (MK), Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture (SI), National Center for Dance Bucharest (RO), and Students’ Cultural Center Novi Sad (RS). The project is co-funded by the European Union.
The platform’s central activity is the Moving Balkans Showcase, which presents selected contemporary dance works from across the region to international presenters and audiences. The inaugural showcase was hosted in 2025 by five partner organisations in Ljubljana, Rijeka and Zagreb, while the second edition took place in Novi Sad.
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Aerowaves. Discovering emerging choreographers and new dance works across Europe.
Partner since 2008
Aerowaves creates international opportunities for emerging European choreographers and their work. A network of 46 partners from 34 countries across Europe, it shares resources and insights while making connections between dance artists, programmers and audiences. At its core, Aerowaves seeks to create connections between exciting emerging dance artists, international programmers and audiences, fostering encounters that might otherwise never happen.
Each year, the network partners select a group of the most promising new choreographic works from hundreds of applications submitted from across Europe and present the current Aerowaves Twenty artists at the Spring Forward Festival. Through cross-border presentations, touring opportunities and professional networking, the platform enables artists to reach new audiences and develop international careers.
As a network partner, En–Knap regularly presents works selected for the Aerowaves Twenty programme, bringing some of the most exciting new voices in European contemporary dance to Slovenian audiences. Through its continued involvement in the network's selection process, En–Knap contributes to the international circulation of contemporary dance and to the discovery of new choreographic voices.
In 2011, En–Knap and Aerowaves launched the first Spring Forward Festival in Ljubljana. Created as the annual gathering of the network and a showcase of the selected Aerowaves Twenty artists, the first festival edition brought more than 200 dance professionals from across Europe to the city and established Ljubljana as an important meeting point for contemporary dance.
In June 2021, En–Knap hosted Aerowaves’ Summer ReCollection, marking the beginning of the network's 25th-anniversary celebrations. The three-day festival presented eleven live performances by artists selected in 2020 and 2021 across eight locations in Ljubljana. The programme also included three virtual performances presented through VR headsets as part of the pioneering Springback Ringside project, a presentation of Stage360, and Cinderella’s Bal Moderne, a participatory social dance event open to all generations and levels of experience.
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The EFFE Label of the European Festivals Association. Artistic quality, community engagement and international openness.
Partner since 2011
NaKnap, a festival of short dance forms, and Plesna Vesna, a year-round festival initiated by En–Knap, have been awarded the EFFE Label by the European Festivals Association (EFA). The recognition strengthens their visibility and connections within the international festival community.
The EFFE Label recognises European festivals that stand out for their artistic quality, international openness, community engagement and commitment to innovation. For En–Knap, the EFFE Label is an international recognition of the work of both festivals, their commitment to artistic exchange and engagement with the international dance community, as well as their efforts to develop new formats and make contemporary dance more accessible to wider audiences.
IETM. Advocating, professional exchange and sector development.
Partner since 1995
Founded in 1981, IETM is one of the oldest and largest cultural networks, representing the voice of around 500 member organisations and freelancers actively engaged in all disciplines of the contemporary performing arts in more than 60 countries worldwide. IETM exists to advocate for the value of arts and culture and to empower performing arts professionals through access to international connections, knowledge and a dynamic forum for exchange. Through international events, publications, advocacy actions, research projects and more, IETM works to stimulate the quality, development and context of the contemporary performing arts in all their diversity.
En–Knap has participated in IETM for more than three decades now. As a member of the network, it remains connected to international developments in the performing arts while contributing to exchanges on artistic innovation, cultural policy, sustainability, accessibility and international cooperation. IETM provides an important framework for building professional relationships and situating Slovenian contemporary dance within wider European and global contexts.
Local partnerships & audience development
The Audience Assembly. Sharing views & experiences.
Partner since 2013
Under the parent platform for performance art theory Neodvisni, the Audience Assembly became a collaborative initiative of independent performing stages dedicated to strengthening dialogue between audiences and contemporary performing arts. Through moderated public discussions held after performances, the programme creates a space for spectators to share impressions, reflections and questions, contributing to a culture of critical engagement and participation. Together with partner organisations, En–Knap supports the development of informed and engaged audiences for contemporary performing arts in Slovenia.
“Tovariški abonma”. A shared subscription for contemporary performing arts.
Partner since 2013
En–Knap is a partner of Tovariški abonma, a joint audience development programme bringing together seven contemporary theatre and dance organisations in Ljubljana. Through a carefully curated programme of performances, talks, lectures and workshops, the subscription programme offers audiences an accessible entry point into contemporary dance and theatre, while encouraging them to explore different venues, artistic practices and formats. The programme strengthens collaboration among organisations in the independent performing arts sector and encourages audiences to engage with contemporary theatre and dance over the long term. Experts in theatre studies, dramaturgy, arts and cultural education, production and artistic practice guide audiences through the diverse landscape of performing arts.
Tovariški abonma is co-organised by: Bunker – Stara mestna elektrarna, Glej Theatre, Emanat, En–Knap – Španski Borci, Dance Theatre Ljubljana, Nomad Dance Academy Slovenija and SLOGI – Slovenian Theatre Institute.
Local platforms
Plesna NACIONALA. A platform for Slovenian contemporary dance.
Producer between 2009 and 2019
Plesna Nacionala was conceived as a collective presentation of short works by a broad range of Slovenian professional dance makers. The idea behind the platform was to create a concrete occasion for the local dance scene to gather informally – to meet one another, exchange information, reflect, and connect – through a multi-hour dance marathon.
For ten consecutive years, Plesna NACIONALA provided professional contemporary dance artists with an opportunity to present short excerpts from their recent works or works in progress. The event brought together generations of dance makers from across Slovenia, one of its central aims being to connect a fragmented scene, strengthen its visibility and contribute to its place within national cultural consciousness. The series aimed to develop and maintain a format for the condensed presentation of Slovenian contemporary dance within a free public annual event. This focused view provided a valuable opportunity for programmers, presenters, cultural institutions and media to become acquainted with the current artistic scene.
En–Knap provided technical infrastructure, organisational support, communication channels and visibility. Through showcase presentations, pitching sessions and informal gatherings, it created opportunities for new encounters between artists, producers, presenters and audiences. The initiative was later succeeded by Pan-Adria, a regional platform providing artists with comprehensive support, from production facilities and funding to opportunities to present their work across Slovenia and the wider region.
The idea emerged from a large-scale presentation of contemporary dance directed by Iztok Kovač and organised for Slovenia’s Statehood Day celebration in 2005 at Republic Square in Ljubljana. Attended by the country's political and cultural leadership and broadcast live in prime time on national television, the event offered a rare collective portrait of the contemporary dance scene at the time, brought in together works by Goran Bogdanovski, Mateja Bučar, Edward Clug, Maja Delak, Matjaž Farič, Gregor Luštek, Ksenija Hribar, Matej Kejžar, Mala Kline, Iztok Kovač, Sinja Ožbolt, Branko Potočan, Sanja Nešković Peršin, Andreja Rauch, Magdalena Reiter and Tanja Zgonc.