Through five strands (Research, Residency, Platform, Development, Tour) DROP aims to develop and expand the provision to the contemporary dance sector in Europe and form a coherent and comprehensive approach to supporting and examining intercultural dialogue, cooperation and artistic exchange.The project will enable one choreographer from each co-organiser plus Canada to work together and provide them with the exposure necessary to develop internationally focused careers. They will be led and guided by a highly experienced choreographer, who will artistically mentor them through group sessions, open rehearsals and presentations. A residency, hosted by the Coordinator in Cardiff during September 2013, will provide the initial starting point for the project that will be accompanied by a research project examining the differences and similarities of their individual working practice. The research will be designed and guided by the co-organisers and a group of professionals made up of the artistic mentor, a commentator, researcher and two academics. A second research project, a mapping study of existing networks for contemporary dance will provide a greater understanding of current provision within the European Union. The results of this study will be distributed widely (through an interactive digital tool) and examined during the Platform by an invited group of dance promoters, sourced through the study and the boarder contacts within the network. The development phase facilitated by each partner for their own representative artist will enable the choreographers to further enrich their cultural works and respond to the skills, knowledge and inspiration gained during the initial stages of the project. All five cultural works will then be toured and publicly presented within one programme at each co-organiser and associated partner venue. The performance package will be accompanied by promoter events, audience development schemes and educational tools.