Critical Endeavour is an educational and workshop programme for emerging dance and performance journalists that took place for the first time during ImPulsTanz 2008 in Vienna. It is part of the new European initiative Jardin d’Europe that was developed by its 10 network partners (Ultima Vez / B, CCN Montpellier / F, Workshop

Foundation / H, Lokomotiva / MK, Station / RS, 4Culture (formerly ArtLink) / RO, Cullberg Ballet /SE, Bimeras Culture Foundation / TR, Southbank Centre /UK, danceWEB / A). Critical Endeavour’s aim is to enhance public discourse on dance and to promote exchange about best practices, ethics, and responsibilities in criticism within the respective countries and contexts. In 2008 Critical Endeavour was lead by renowned German dance critic and theoretician Franz Anton Cramer.

Critical Endeavour offers a broad range of expert input, professional experience, debate and exchange with artists, peers, and various actors in the field to the young journalists. It will take place over three weeks organised in two axes:

• Acquiring expertise and learning work tools for journalistic, essayistic, and theoretical writing on dance;

• Working towards an ethics of evaluation by nominating three laureates among a group of 12 young choreographers featured in the [8:tensions]+ series as part of the festival.