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INTERSECTA

INTERSECTA: Body, Memory & Media Residency

 

 

New and innovative. INTERSECTA is a pilot residency at Espronceda that bridges
performing arts, immersive media (AR/XR), and cultural research to explore
how migration, identity, and digital transformation are reshaping artistic practice in Europe.

2025 edition: 3 residents will be selected — 1 cultural researcher working on diaspora and identity,
and 2 AR/XR artists — to co-create prototypes and methodologies that connect body, memory, and media
with local communities and international collaborators.

Vision and approach

INTERSECTA focuses on the process rather than the final product. It functions as a prototyping lab
where ideas can be tested, findings shared, and real synergies built between
a cultural manager and two XR artists. The aim is to create new connections between
embodied practices, digital tools, and cultural reflection with social impact.

  • Fields: Performing arts, interdisciplinary arts, AR/XR, cultural research.
  • City: Barcelona, Catalonia. Venue: Espronceda Institute of Art & Culture.
  • Outputs: prototypes, immersive demos, living research archive, work-in-progress presentations.

Why it is new and innovative

  • Embodied + Digital: integrates body knowledge and immersive technologies into a single workflow.
  • Directed synergies: the cultural manager + XR artists duo co-design replicable models for institutions.
  • Sustainability and inclusion: low footprint, shared resources, dialogue with migrant communities.
  • Transferability: open methodologies and living archive reusable in education and museums.

What we offer

  • Support per artist: €8,000 for 2 months (stipend, production, documentation, public presentation).
  • Access to XR spaces and tools: prototyping, device testing, WIP sessions, peer mentoring.
  • Connections: meetings with local agents and international collaborators in hybrid format.
  • Visibility: showcases, living archive, and digital-first communication materials.

Intensive program . 2 months

Outline to structure collaboration between the cultural manager and the two XR artists.

Week 1 . Arrival and alignment

  • Kickoff: expectations and roles. Mapping practices and references.
  • Embodied mapping lab and personal storyworlds.
  • Framework session: migration, identity, memory, and immersive media.

Week 2 . Design thinking + diagnosis

  • Co-definition of challenges and target audiences.
  • Opportunity matrix: performance . XR . community.
  • Quick benchmark of replicable cultural formats.

Week 3 . Conceptual storming

  • Guided ideation and lateral creative techniques.
  • First sketches and maps of body–device interaction.
  • XR technical clinic: workflows, compatibilities, risks.

Week 4 . Field trip and listening

  • Micro-ethnography with local and migrant communities.
  • Situated tests of sensoriality and audiovisual recording.
  • Concept refinement based on community feedback.

Week 5 . Prototyping v1

  • Integration of movement and XR into short scenes or modules.
  • Documentation pipeline and evaluation criteria.
  • Internal WIP session with guest mentors.

Week 6 . Tech workshops and mediation

  • Hands-on sessions: tracking, capture, interaction, spatial sound.
  • Cultural mediation: accessibility, audience safety, guides.
  • Iteration plan toward prototype v2.

Week 7 . Cultural study and impact projection

  • Context analysis, references, ethical frameworks.
  • Future casting: scenarios, museums, educational applications.
  • Design of replicable kit and open documentation.

Week 8 . v2, showcase and next steps

  • Prototype v2 and technical rehearsal.
  • Public WIP showcase with structured feedback.
  • Roadmap: alliances, festivals, international projection.

Sustainability and efficiency

  • Hybrid collaborations and reduced travel footprint.
  • Use of existing infrastructure and recycled materials.
  • Digital-first communication and recycled paper when needed.
  • Shared resources and high social return activities.

Inclusion and equity

  • Multilingual access EN/ES with Tagalog integration when relevant.
  • Open programming for migrant communities in Barcelona.
  • Gender balance and transparent resource distribution.
  • Safe environments under Espronceda’s non-discrimination policy.

Who can apply

  • 1 cultural research profile focusing on diaspora and identity.
  • 2 AR/XR creation profiles with interest in performance and prototyping.
  • Strong interest in participatory work, documentation, and transferability.

How to apply

Submit one single PDF (max 10 MB): CV and portfolio, 2–3 page project proposal,
motivation letter linking body, memory, and media.

Email: info@espronceda.net — Subject: INTERSECTA 2025

  • Deadline: July 31, 2025
  • Results: September 2025
  • Residency: 2-month intensive program within the 3 months of full support

Budget per artist . reference 2 months

  • Accommodation €3,200
  • Living expenses €1,700
  • Local transport €150
  • XR production and materials €1,300
  • Documentation €700
  • Public presentation and WIP €700
  • Coordination and staff €1,250
  • Total €8,000

Impact and continuity

INTERSECTA outputs are designed for reuse in museums, educational contexts, and partner institutions.
The living research archive, prototypes, and methodologies allow scaling and replication in Catalonia and beyond.

© 2025 Espronceda Institute of Art & Culture · INTERSECTA Residency