Grants

Danse Transition supports dancers in preparing their scholarship application files related to their professional retraining projects. Subject to a positive recommendation from an independent pre-assessment committee responsible for evaluating applications, Danse Transition may forward the request to the association’s partner foundations.

These scholarships cover all or part of the training costs.
Additional contributions toward living expenses partially offset the loss of income during the training period.

Procedure

1. Get in contact with Danse Transition to set up an appointment for a one-to-one counselling session
2. Apply for a scholarship in the canton of your residence
3. Prepare your Grant application dossier, which should include the following documents:
   • Grant application form properly filled out
     Download the application form
   • Curriculum vitae
   • Motivation letter explaining your second career choice,  transition project and financial situation and needs
   • Budget
     Download the budget
   • Information regarding the chosen study/training program and the costs involved
   • Admission confirmation from the school/institute in which the study/training programme will take place
   • Copy of the last decision from the Cantonal tax office
   • References, diplomas
   • Proof of application to a cantonal scholarship  in the case of a federally recognized training
4. Submit your Grant Request application to Danse Transition at one of the 3 annual submission deadlines.

Eligibility criteria

• To have danced professionally for at least 8 years, of which 4 in Romandy (French-part of Switzerland).
• To have not stopped dancing or being professionally active in the dance field in the past 4 years.
• To be at least 28 years old.
• To prove that your main professional activity belongs to the field of dance
• To have contacted Danse Transition at least once during the previous 4 years preceding the request.
• The coherence of the career transition project.

Apart from the criteria mentioned above, the pre-assessment committee for scholarship allocation reserves the right to consider any exceptional and justified application case.

Meeting the above criteria does not imply an automatic favorable recommendation nor the granting of a scholarship. The pre-assessment committee remains free in assessing applications and taking decisions accordingly.

Danse Transition has laid down a list of criteria which helps recognising professional dancers. You can download the document below (french)

Danse Transition’s criteria for the recognition of professional dancers 

Grant Awarding process

The pre-assessment committee for scholarship allocation evaluates the coherence of the professional transition project. It seeks to understand the choreographic artist’s goals, the means planned to achieve them, and their motivations.

Career transition projects are assessed based on their potential to enhance earning capacity and strengthen employability, thereby enabling the professional dancer to achieve financial independence.

If a scholarship is granted by one of the association’s partner foundations, the recipient signs a grant agreement with the association, outlining the respective commitments of both parties.

The decisions of the committees are final and not subject to appeal.

Any support granted places responsibility on the scholarship recipient, who is required to seriously pursue their professional career transition training.

In the event of an unjustified interruption of the training, a termination procedure will be initiated, which may lead to the partial or full repayment of the financial support received.

Pre-assessment committee

Natasha Gautier

A professional career counsellor psychologist, she specializes in guiding adults through career management. She currently works at the Fribourg Career Guidance Service (SOPFA), where she offers individual support to anyone facing professional interrogations. With a sensitivity to art, she has completed basic training in art therapy and practices contemporary dance as an amateur.

Ramon Moraes

Human Program Support Specialist at Airbnb, a philanthropic initiative which allows guests to provide free temporary accomodation for people displaced by conflict, natural disasters or illness. BA in International Relations & MA in Leadership and Development, former dancer and Danse Transition Grant recipient.

Katrin Kolo

Degree in economics and master in transdisciplinarity in the arts. Former dancer and choreographer, director of the Theater Casino Zug, office manager of the Festspiele Zürich, co-director of the Tanzhaus Zürich, production manager of Joachim Schlömer projects, project manager. Coach and responsible for career transition workshops for professional dancers.

Danse Transition would like to thank Caroline Olivier, Jean-François Kessler, Anne Rubinstein, Carlo Bagutti, Gabor Varga and Aline Müller Guidetti for their great commitment and valuable help to the Grant Awarding Committee in the past years.  

Submission deadlines

The Pre-assessment committee meets 3 times a year to take a decision on the grant applications. Applicants are requested to submit their applications no later than one of the following dates: September 16th, February 18th, May 27th, of each year.

Grant awarding decisions will be sent by e-mail within approximately two months after the application’s submission deadlines. 

IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig Grant

As a member of the International Association for the Transition of Professional Dancers (IOTPD), Danse Transition is proud to present the result of a joint and international effort: the IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig Grant.

This International Grant helps dancers prepare for life after dance and honours IOTPD Founding President, Mr. Braunschweig.             
Dancers with international careers have the opportunity to apply for funding to help them prepare for life after dance.

Mr. Braunschweig was passionate about dance and dancers, and tireless in his efforts to improve the situation of dancers facing career transition. He died in 2010. Paul Bronkhorst, IOTPD President said, “Philippe made a significant difference for dance and dancers around the world. Our world is a better place because of his efforts.”

The annual IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig Grant was awarded for the first time in June 2013 and provides a transitioning dancer with up to € 5,000 to help them retrain for a second career. For dancers with international careers, this type of support is essential, as many have not danced long enough in any one country to be eligible for support from a national transition program. This award was developed specifically to provide assistance to those dancers who may otherwise ‘fall through the cracks’. Further details and the grant application are available through the IOTPD website.

www.iotpd.org