AIR Asian Artist-in-Residencies

Four day workshop and conference focusing on Asian artist in residencies, artistic mobility and artistic exchange, to be held in Taiwan, from 17 to 20 July 2005.

The concept for this event derived from a great sense of urgency felt by the Asian organizations we consulted in the past to address the needs of the Asian region and to further promote regional development among various Asian artists’ mobility schemes in Asia.

Program
July 17 to 19 Workshop: Pilot Project AIR Asia – Mapping Asian Artists’ Mobility

The July event will start with a two-day workshop session aiming at the mapping of intra Asia systems of communication and support, under supervision of professional consultant San San Wong. The workshop will be held at several AIRs in the South of Taiwan – relaxed, countryside settings.

During the workshop we hope to share thoughts about the following issues:
– Examples of models of artistic mobility in Asia
– Asian Artists in Residency definitions and the diversity of AIR programs offered
– Understanding of the state of support of Asian AIR’s
– Understand present realities and critical role of Asian AIR’s
– Understand the challenges that Asian AIR’s face

On the third day, we hope to provide you with site visits to different models of artist in residencies in Taiwan that are connected to a regional network promoting artists in residence programs: the Taiwan Artist Village Association (TAVA). Visits are planned to AIR’s in both rural and urban environments, such as Taichung Stock 20 AIR, in renovated railway warehouses, and the residency at the nature park of Hua Tau Yao with its famous traditional dragon Kiln.

Among those invited for the workshop session are organizations that actively promote creativity and support cultural exchange projects that involve artistic mobility within the Asian continent. Moreover, representatives of various artists groups, public and private founders, local, regional and global NGOs/networks were invited so they could grasp what the Asian situation is like and how they can be of support. The outcome of the workshop session should be an overview of Asian support and communication systems. This will be the system to keep the participants connected, in a network that foresees the needs of Asian organizations.

July 20 Conference: Artists in Residence – Hubs of artistic exchange

The workshop session will be followed by a one-day open conference which will focus on the promotion of artist in residence programs worldwide. The conference will include a forum with representatives from Asian culture exchange organizations to look at present challenges and constrains. The aim of the conference is to show those involved in planning, funding and legislation activities the importance of AIR programs, how they can use their support for future development and to establish a system or network to further culture exchange within Asia.