SELECTED WORKS FESTIVAL 2025
Selected Works Festival (Det Frie Felts Festival) 2025 showcases various performing arts formats, genres, and expressions while raising visibility for artists and their works from the independent field. The festival highlights both the national and international potential of the showcased pieces. It features both emerging and experienced artists with diverse backgrounds, references, and skills, as well as experimental forms of expression. The artists work in areas such as choreography, physical theater, dramatic texts, performance art, sound art, and visual arts.
The "independent field" here refers to the production context, as these works are typically created outside institutional frameworks. This year's festival program has been curated by a team of three: dance artist and choreographer Paolo de Venezia Gile, playwright and dramaturg Gritt Uldall-Jessen, and creative producer Ann-Jette Caron. They selected 14 productions from 102 Danishbased submitted proposals. The internationalbased performances include Trauma Kink by Guivlipen (RO), Heavy Theatre by KHWOSHCH (CZ) and The Remembrance by Anna Dathiashvili (RG/CZ). These works are curated by Gritt Uldall-Jessen.
In connection with the presentation of the two Czech-based works, there will be a lecture on the independent field in Czechia/Slovakia by PhD Milan Hrbek. The presentation of the two Czech works is part of an exchange with the partner festival Malá Inventura, which, like Selected Works, is part of the Bridging the Scenes network. These productions have been supported by the Czech Ministry of Culture. During the presentation of Trauma Kink by Guivlipen (RO), a masterclass will be held, where the group will share their experiences working with documentary-based material. The program also includes an AI workshop with the international instructor Dimitar Uzunov(BG) invited by Selected Works Festival, focusing on AI and artistic development in the independent field.
There will also be two open workshops on criticism and artistic development, led by bastard nordic. Bastard nordic is a collaboration between bastard blog and Site in Stockholm, supported by the Nordic Culture Fund and Nordic Culture Point. The two workshops by bastard nordic, as well as other activities like selected artist talks and articles based on the festival’s works, are part of a collaboration between Selected Works Festival and bastard nordiv. The workshop in Aarhus is also a collaboration with Performing Arts Platform. In addition, Selected Works Festival facilitates artist talks with all participating artists who have works at the festival and are available to attend.
Selected Works Festival was first held in 2014. So far, the festival has been held seven times, showcasing over 81 works from the independent field. This eighth edition, like the previous one, will take place in both Copenhagen and Aarhus. The festival presents performances in collaboration with the venue partners Aveny-T, AFUK Scene, and Sydhavn Teater in Copenhagen, as well as Åbne Scene, Godsbanen, and Svalegangen in Aarhus.
"It is important to promote the circulation of experimental performing arts domestically and give audiences in both Copenhagen and Aarhus the opportunity to experience works they would otherwise not have access to. At the same time, artists within the independent field get the chance to extend the reach of their performances by participating in the festival. The festival's ambition is to create new opportunities for the participating artists, both nationally and internationally. This includes the potential for co-productions, expanded networks, and inspiration for future projects. To support this, we have invited representatives from the European network, Bridging the Scenes, who will be present at both festivals. From previous experience, we know that this has led to new artist collaborations and international partnerships across the network.
Additionally, the vision is to extend the lifespan of the performances, reach new audiences, and inspire the performing arts communities in both cities. There is a general need for increased visibility for the independent field of performing arts, and the festival format has proven effective in this regard, as the works are presented in a concentrated form within a fixed framework. A performing arts festival forms a fleeting community—a whole world while it’s happening, but suddenly it's gone. Just like the many works within the independent field, which too few people know about or have the chance to experience due to the lack of touring and limited visibility. This is one of the primary motivating factors for hosting the festival. The need to ensure access to stage capacity for the independent field has not diminished since we began over 11 years ago as an extension of our cultural-political engagement with the conditions of the field. Therefore we are now holding the festival for the eighth time."
Gritt Uldall-Jessen, Artistic Director of Selected Works Festival
The "independent field" here refers to the production context, as these works are typically created outside institutional frameworks. This year's festival program has been curated by a team of three: dance artist and choreographer Paolo de Venezia Gile, playwright and dramaturg Gritt Uldall-Jessen, and creative producer Ann-Jette Caron. They selected 14 productions from 102 Danishbased submitted proposals. The internationalbased performances include Trauma Kink by Guivlipen (RO), Heavy Theatre by KHWOSHCH (CZ) and The Remembrance by Anna Dathiashvili (RG/CZ). These works are curated by Gritt Uldall-Jessen.
In connection with the presentation of the two Czech-based works, there will be a lecture on the independent field in Czechia/Slovakia by PhD Milan Hrbek. The presentation of the two Czech works is part of an exchange with the partner festival Malá Inventura, which, like Selected Works, is part of the Bridging the Scenes network. These productions have been supported by the Czech Ministry of Culture. During the presentation of Trauma Kink by Guivlipen (RO), a masterclass will be held, where the group will share their experiences working with documentary-based material. The program also includes an AI workshop with the international instructor Dimitar Uzunov(BG) invited by Selected Works Festival, focusing on AI and artistic development in the independent field.
There will also be two open workshops on criticism and artistic development, led by bastard nordic. Bastard nordic is a collaboration between bastard blog and Site in Stockholm, supported by the Nordic Culture Fund and Nordic Culture Point. The two workshops by bastard nordic, as well as other activities like selected artist talks and articles based on the festival’s works, are part of a collaboration between Selected Works Festival and bastard nordiv. The workshop in Aarhus is also a collaboration with Performing Arts Platform. In addition, Selected Works Festival facilitates artist talks with all participating artists who have works at the festival and are available to attend.
Selected Works Festival was first held in 2014. So far, the festival has been held seven times, showcasing over 81 works from the independent field. This eighth edition, like the previous one, will take place in both Copenhagen and Aarhus. The festival presents performances in collaboration with the venue partners Aveny-T, AFUK Scene, and Sydhavn Teater in Copenhagen, as well as Åbne Scene, Godsbanen, and Svalegangen in Aarhus.
"It is important to promote the circulation of experimental performing arts domestically and give audiences in both Copenhagen and Aarhus the opportunity to experience works they would otherwise not have access to. At the same time, artists within the independent field get the chance to extend the reach of their performances by participating in the festival. The festival's ambition is to create new opportunities for the participating artists, both nationally and internationally. This includes the potential for co-productions, expanded networks, and inspiration for future projects. To support this, we have invited representatives from the European network, Bridging the Scenes, who will be present at both festivals. From previous experience, we know that this has led to new artist collaborations and international partnerships across the network.
Additionally, the vision is to extend the lifespan of the performances, reach new audiences, and inspire the performing arts communities in both cities. There is a general need for increased visibility for the independent field of performing arts, and the festival format has proven effective in this regard, as the works are presented in a concentrated form within a fixed framework. A performing arts festival forms a fleeting community—a whole world while it’s happening, but suddenly it's gone. Just like the many works within the independent field, which too few people know about or have the chance to experience due to the lack of touring and limited visibility. This is one of the primary motivating factors for hosting the festival. The need to ensure access to stage capacity for the independent field has not diminished since we began over 11 years ago as an extension of our cultural-political engagement with the conditions of the field. Therefore we are now holding the festival for the eighth time."
Gritt Uldall-Jessen, Artistic Director of Selected Works Festival