Perform Ukraine 2026: A Space for Professional Dialogue, New Ideas and Partnerships

On September 16–17, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Choreography and Fitness, Yuliia Taranenko, took part in Perform Ukraine 2026, a professional event bringing together representatives of Ukraine’s performing arts sector.

For the fourth time, Perform Ukraine has been jointly organized by the EU Creative Europe Desk Ukraine and Impulse Transformation Platform. Over the years, the event has become an important meeting place for the professional community, with each previous edition bringing together between 200 and 350 participants.

This year’s programme combined professional dialogue, discussions, pitching sessions, interactive and immersive formats, presentations of artistic projects, and networking. The focus was on international experience, contemporary practices, embodiment, ethics, meaning, and new opportunities for the development of the performing arts.

One of the central topics was the panel discussion “Art, Support, Healing: Trauma-Informed Approaches, Ethics, Challenges and Practices.” Participants discussed the role of art in working with experiences of trauma, professional ethics, and responsible approaches to interaction with people.

This topic is particularly relevant to dance education, as contemporary work with the body increasingly goes beyond purely artistic practice, opening up opportunities for support, communication, self-expression, and recovery.

Another important discussion focused on Ukrainian performing arts in an international context. Representatives of cultural institutions and professional platforms discussed opportunities for international cooperation, the presence of Ukrainian art in the global cultural space, and prospects for further integration of Ukrainian artists into the international professional community.

One of the distinctive features of Perform Ukraine was the “Living Books” format. Instead of a traditional presentation from the stage, participants could choose a conversation partner based on a particular topic or professional experience and engage in a direct dialogue. This format provided an opportunity to ask questions that often remain beyond the scope of panel discussions and to gain practical insights directly from colleagues.

The programme also included a somatic lounge zone, matchmaking sessions for finding professional partners and establishing new contacts, presentations of completed and ongoing projects, as well as artistic events, including the performance “Kyiv Perepichka” featuring Ukrainian actress Irma Vitovska, among other activities.

The two intensive days offered an opportunity not only to explore current trends in the performing arts, but also to meet and connect with colleagues, exchange experience, ideas, and professional practices.

Participation in events of this kind is an important component of professional development in arts education. It provides an opportunity to gain a broader understanding of contemporary artistic processes, explore emerging practices, and identify opportunities for future cooperation.

Perform Ukraine 2026 once again demonstrated that contemporary performing arts are about much more than the stage. They are about people, the body, interaction, meaning, professional dialogue, and the ability of art to respond to the challenges of our time.

For the Department of Choreography and Fitness, participation in professional events of this kind is an opportunity to remain connected to the contemporary artistic environment, expand professional networks, and bring relevant practices and ideas into dance education.