JOMBA! FEMME FORWARD Screen Dance Residency 2026

The 2026 JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience, hosted by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s award-winning Centre for Creative Arts, calls for applications for its JOMBA! Femme Forward Screen Dance Residency, which takes place during the festival from 24 August to 29 August.

Besides presenting edgy live contemporary dance, as well as workshops, talks and its dance-writers - and female-focused residencies, JOMBA! also supports, hosts and nurtures a digital dance platform that has an open call for submissions to be featured at the festival.

This year’s continuation of the JOMBA! Femme Forward Residency focuses on the development of female-identifying dance artists who are eager to develop their digital screen dance practice.

Investing In Screen Dance Development

Having screened almost 50 dance films over the past 5 years JOMBA! is dedicated to investing in the craft of screen dance making and following the 2023 screen dance residency run by Mozambican duo Pak Ndjamena and Ivan Barros JOMBA is thrilled to be partnering with Cape Town based Darkroom Contemporary Dance Theatre to execute this year’s 6-day residency.

The residency offers space for 5 female-identifying dancers / dance makers aged between 18 and 35 years who have some dance training and have a keen interest in upskilling themselves to become digital screen dance creators.

Partnership With Darkroom Contemporary Dance Theatre

This JOMBA! Femme Forward Screen Dance Residency is being run in partnership with Darkroom Contemporary Dance Theatre (Cape Town, South Africa), a project-based company which was founded in 2010, and formed as a vehicle to reimagine dance through its innovative approach to staging and presenting contemporary works.

Founders Louise Coetzer, a dancer and choreographer, and Oscar O’Ryan, a photographer and filmmaker, bring together expertise from their respective fields to form a dynamic partnership. Their projects provide platforms and create opportunities for skills development and exchange among all artists involved.

They focus on the use of new technology and digital media frame their artistic approach. Similarly does interdisciplinary exploration, with project collaborators including visual artists, musicians, designers, filmmakers and digital artists.

Supporting Female-Identifying Dance Makers

“We remain deeply committed to creating accessible, inclusive spaces for dance-makers,” says JOMBA!’s Project Manager, Thobile Maphanga.

“The Femme Forward Residency is about amplifying young female-identifying voices in dance, and this year specifically in screen-dance, giving them the tools and confidence to tell their stories in powerful new ways, making their work accessible to wider global audiences.”

“We are excited to collaborate with JOMBA! on this residency,” says Louise Coetzer of Darkroom Contemporary Dance Theatre.

“Screen dance opens up fresh possibilities for choreography and creativity, and we want participants to experiment, take risks, and discover their own unique voices in the digital space.”

Residency Focus And Opportunities

The Residency will focus primarily on developing dance filmmaking skills (from conceptualisation, pre-production planning, filming to editing considerations). The outcome will be a short screen dance film, created individually by each participant.

Included in the residency will be access to dance workshops by choreographers visiting the festival, assistance in forging a professional image and instilling good work ethic that will aid the young makers to promote their future work.

The residents will also have access to the full festival programme and have the opportunity to meet and engage with professional companies and choreographers that are visiting the festival.

Application And Selection Process

The selection will be done through an application process that requires the applicant to motivate why they want to be a part of the residency.

Participants will be expected to be available for the full 6-day duration (24-29 August 2026) with the outcomes of the residency presented at the JOMBA! Forging Futures platform on Saturday, 29 August 2026.

There is no cost to participate, and a nominal stipend is paid to support residents with transport and food for the 6 days. Applicants must reside in and around Durban.

For more information about the application criteria and selection process, go to https://jomba.ukzn.ac.za/jomba-femme-forward-screen-dance-residency-2026/.

Applications can be made here https://forms.gle/8BcWYQVZgyPx4twf7.

Applications close on Monday 22 June 2026 at 5pm.