Upstage Director Adam Chienjo completes Pro-Helvetia-supported research trip in Switzerland 

June 1st, 2025

In May - June 2025, Upstage co-founder and Dance Life Festival curator Adam Chienjo undertook a two-week research trip in Switzerland, supported by Pro Helvetia. He visited six cities: Basel, Bern, Lugano, Zürich, Lausanne, and Genève, meeting with artists, programmers, and cultural leaders, and expanding both his creative practice and Upstage’s international network.

Hosted within the framework of the DISFRAME Festival, the trip focused on integrated dance, inclusion, and cross-cultural collaboration. Adam met with more than a dozen prominent Swiss artists and curators including Carmelo Rifici (LAC Lugano), Philippe Olza, Cristina Galbiati (Trickster P), and choreographer Joshua Monten. These conversations opened pathways for future collaborations, with several artists now expected to participate in upcoming Upstage programs.

A standout moment of the trip was Adam’s meeting with Her Excellency Fauzia Abass, Kenya’s Ambassador to Switzerland, who welcomed the initiative and encouraged future collaboration between the two countries in research, education, and cultural exchange.

The research journey also led to immediate outcomes: Swiss artists Alan Alpenfelt and Alessandro Schiattarella participated in Dance Life Festival 2025. A new partnership with Joshua Monten was also developed, with his work Linearity set to premiere Nairobi in October 2025 through a program managed by Upstage, supported by Pro-Helvetia.

This trip reinforced Upstage’s commitment to building inclusive, artist-led platforms and expanding East Africa’s presence in international performance circuits. We are deeply grateful to Pro Helvetia for making this possible.