Contact

Name of the responsible structure : The Free Dome Project
Type of structure : non profit organization
Profile of the initiators of the project : The initiator and leader of the project is Orit Nevo + some founders from civil society
Continent : Asia
Country : Israel
Address/tel/fax : P.O.B 172 Binyamina 30550
Mail : info@ free-dome.org
Website : www.free-dome.org
Contact : Rebecca Shahaf - Administrative director

Description

The Free Dome Project is an International Performing Arts Center based in Israel in a small village called Binyamina between Haifa and Tel Aviv - It is a place of creation, representation and teaching of New Circus as an interdisciplinary art form. The FDP aims to be a home for everything in performance which is not necessarily institutional and needs a home. It is a place for all performing arts, alternative, experimental, interdisciplinary or other, which are seriously committed to high artistic quality. The FDP’s activity will revolve primarily around four major art forms - Circus arts, theatre, dance and music. Most projects will fuse elements from all four disciplines, and some works will also incorporate other art forms.

We are working towards high quality production, both in the teaching program and in performances we will provide to the public. In this view, we intend to bring Israeli artists living and working abroad, back to Israel to have a base for their artistic creation here and a venue for performances.

The Free Dome is established with a clear aim to contribute to the mastery of the arts of peace in Israel and the middle east. It is our strong hope that the dome will contribute to the bringing of peace to our region by artistic collaboration and cultural exchange.

A group of artists and teachers will reside in the Free Dome complex on a permanent basis. This troup will be joined regularly by teachers and artists from outside Israel, through collaboration with other centers around the world. The core group along with the exchange visitors from abroad and from within Israel will take part in the activities of the FDP.

The FDP will ultimately strive to serve several functions: Study campus, performance center, site for arts festivals, base for community outreach programs and a home for both resident and guest performing artists. All these different services had to be addressed in the first draft of the future design below.

The Free Dome Complex below is planned to cover 2300 m² (a little over half an acres). At the heart of the complex will be the geodesic Central Dome. The dome will serve as the central facility for both teaching as well as for performance. In addition to the dome the complex will also provide an open-air performance amphitheatre, a café with open gallery, offices, and living quarters for the resident artists.

Building : a circus tent.
Former use : non - empty ground
Total surface of the site : 4,000 Square Meters
Location : rural area
Foundation year of the centre : 2002
Type of occupation : free-lending contract with the local authorities and the owner of the land.
Owner of the building : Orit Nevo - founder of the project

Infrastructures / Facilities

The Free Dome Circus tent is 9 m high, 24 meters in diameter and is 452 square meters, floor size. The surrounding is 2,500 square meters + a parking lot of about the same size.

Social and artistic disciplines

The overall concept underlying the project is to have various artistic and educational programs, running parallel to a commercial program providing a solid financial base for the project. The artistic programs will include:

 Teaching:

Regular weekly classes in various circus arts, dance and theatre

Courses, workshops and master classes by local and mostly international artists

Scheduled working meetings for professional artists of various disciplines, geared towards estanlishing a resident performance company

 Performances:
 
Regular performances by resident dome artists

Guest artists from Israel as well as from abroad

Collaboration project between Dome artists and visiting artists

Student presentations

Variety evenings presenting works in progress by various artists

 Community Outreach:

Introductory courses for all age groups, providing an educational program for the local population in circus skills, dance, music and theatre

Street performances in community festive events

Collaboration with local high schools in theatre and dance departments

Short performances, workshops and crash courses in local schools

Circus, dance and theatre galas open to the public, as well as regular performances throughout the year

An annual festival presenting work created in the Dome or hosted by it

 The commercial program is intended to serve and complement the artistic program, providing professional engagements for home artists in various contexts, such as:

Business events, conferences and festive occasions including performances by Dome artists

Specific workshops utilizing circus skills for addressing business related issues (group training, decision making etc.)

A hands-on circus experience for schools, worker’s unions and the like, including hands-on activities, lunch and a show

Financial support

The French Cultural service of the French Embassy in Israel + private donations and sponsoring.

Networks

Member of the FEDEC, European federation of Circus schools
Partnerships and collaborations with various other art and media schools in Israel.