Choreographer Lia Haraki is bringing her Performance Shop concept to Athens as part of this year's Athens and Epidaurus Festival. An open call has been issued to performers and artists working with any form of live art. Read the full announcement below and visit the official Performance Shop website for more info. Deadline for submissions is 15 March 2017.

Does your artistic work function as a service?
As a unique experience?
As a showcase in a shop window?

Rationale
The project seeks to bring art closer to people within the wider context of society and everyday life. The aim is to highlight the act of performance as an important component of human empowerment and evolution, of man as a member of society, as an artist and as an active spectator.

In the context of the shop, a citizen has easier access to art and the opportunity to choose the performance of his/her preference from an extensive catalogue. These features make the spectator/passer-by/consumer active and their choices personal and therefore valuable.

The identity of the performance as a product, however intangible and ephemeral, is underlined by the delicate irony found in the concept of the ‘commodity/service’ that can be bought at the store, offering a cost-value relationship while at the same time not compromising its artistic quality.

The kind of works we are looking for
The types of performances that will be presented at the store can belong to any type of performing arts or the art of performance and any other practices that fall into the broader category of live art. A key element of the proposals we seek is their performative character and a clear interest on behalf of the artist on the issue of artist/viewer relationship.

We are interested in the innovation that stems from the unique ‘voice’ of each creator, sharing his/her creative universe and consequently offering his/her artistic work as an experience to every viewer who will choose it.

The performances of The Performance Shop will take the form of a spectacle, will be offered as services, function as unique experiences and encourage participation. The open call concerns the ‘On display’ (spectacle) and ‘Participatory’ sections of the programme.

a. On display
Performances that will take place in the window of the store so that passers-by can watch them for free. The call concerns new or already existing works that can be adapted to the conventions of a store window.
The works can be of short or long duration. The ‘On display’ performances will take place on predetermined dates and times in accordance with the general programme of The Performance Shop.

b. Participatory
Performances that will be included in the store catalogue/menu and will be available to viewers/customers to choose from. The call concerns new or already existing works. A basic prerequisite is to incorporate the viewer into the performance process so that the whole experience is personal and therefore special. A maximum number of shows will be pre-set.

Financial support
The selected projects will be awarded a fee. The fee will be offered to the artists during the selection procedure. Artists will have to declare either its acceptance or rejection by April 9th the latest.

Store specifications
–Windows: 1-4m long, 0,68-1,5m wide and 2-4m high.
–Interior area: 30-50m2.
–Sound system with speakers in the store
–1 wired and 1 wireless microphone
–8 theatre lights with stands
–Projector

Duration
The Performance Shop will be open from June 15th to July 15th 2018 and operate in line with the standard commercial hours. There will also be evening performances.

For more information and application forms please visit the official Performance Shop website. For questions and clarifications please write to shoptheperformance@gmail.com.

Artistic Committee
Lia Haraki, artist, artistic director of The Performance Shop
Steriani Tsintziloni, artistic advisor for Dance, Athens and Epidaurus Festival
Alexis Vassiliou, artist, general and artistic director of Dance House Lemesos and of the Open House Festival
Marina Makri, artist, co-founder of enacttheatre group, visual culture theorist
Kiriakos Spirou, composer, art critic, curator