We are OFEN Co-Arts
Hi! We are Gala and Michael
About OFEN
OFEN Co-Arts is a dance-centered advocacy and consultancy platform founded by Gala Moody and Michael Carter in 2012. We champion ethical, sustainable, and inclusive practices in the performing arts through research, mentorship, workshops, and resources. Committed to dismantling harmful power structures, we support individuals and institutions in creating fairer, more supportive cultural environments.
Michael Carter
Michael Carter is a dancer, director, researcher, and writer. He has worked with the Australian Ballet Company, Spain’s Compañía Nacional de Danza, and Germany’s Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, alongside extensive freelance work in diverse dance spaces. As co-founder of OFEN Co-Arts, he has created dance works for stage, student symposiums, workshops on speaking up to power, and collaborative resources with activist groups across Europe. Michael is a research associate for the Pina Bausch Foundation and holds a certificate in Mediation and Conflict Management. He lives in the Basque Country, Spain.
Gala Moody
Gala Moody is a professional contemporary dancer, activist, and writer from Australia. She has worked with Ultima Vez/Wim Vandekeybus, Luca Guadagnino, Jean-Paul Goude, Nicolas Winding Refn, Paul Thomas Anderson, Romeo Castellucci, Yael Bartana, and others. As a founding member of the artist-led Engagement Arts Brussels, she has fought against sexism and sexual harassment in the arts. Through OFEN Co-Arts, Gala promotes ethical working conditions for dancers, trials practical solutions, mentors dancers, consults at larger dance companies, and educates wider awareness. She is the author of The Dancer’s Handbook, and lives in Brussels.