In 2021, the programme weclomed ten artists to Limerick both in person and virtually for the inaugural year of Studio Light Moves: Open Futures. The significant and international response to this initiative demonstrated the value placed on interdisciplinary collaboration between dance and digital artists.

The selected dance and digital artists vision for this interdisciplinary exchange is responsive and inspiring. The artists worked on research, development, investigation and ideas, alongside mentors and contributors from the dance and technology sectors.

Encompassing choreographic approaches, machine learning, liveness, augmented reality, smart textiles, performance and real-time processes, the residencies unfolded in Dance Limerick and remotely from June to October 2021.

The Open Future 2021 Artists are Georgia Tegou and Kristina Pulejkova, Eva Baumann and Michael Tuttle, Fearghus Ó Conchúir and Rob Eagle, and Ruairí Ó Donnabháin, Róisín Berg, Julie Phelps and Sorcha Hassett.

Studio Light Moves: Open Futures is an annual residency opportunity for artists across multiple disciplines. The programme is a platform for dance artists and media artists interested in collaborating to explore the intersection of dance with media and screen-based practices.

Open Futures is a Studio Light Moves project in partnership with Dance Limerick, Dance Ireland, Limerick City Gallery of Art, Digital Media and Arts Research Centre and the Irish World Academy at UL.