Project outline

Independent Creative Art Spaces Leadership Training is part of the Artists’ Networks and Autonomous Cultural Centers, an initiative set up by ASEF in 2003 aiming to contribute to the promotion of artists’ mobility, exchange of cultural professionals and exposure for cultural practitioners.
Implemented in partnership with artist-run-spaces, autonomous cultural centers and/or artists’ networks, the projects aim at encouraging discussions on issues such as cultural management strategies, contemporary artistic practices and to be a launch pad for eventual future collaborations between Asia and Europe.

Managers of Independent Creative Art Spaces in general don’t receive formal arts management training though they are often leading cultural organizations that employ many people and exercise a great influence in the local context.

This five-day intensive workshop shall concentrate on the role and importance of the artists/managers in multi-disciplinary Independent Creative Art Spaces. Various interactive sessions shall examine different aspects of managing an art space in relation to real life case studies presented by the participants. Challenges in planning, human resources, budgeting, fundraising, communication as well as issues around community involvement and audience development will be discussed and presented.

This workshop shall offer an opportunity to reflect on how 20 artists / managers from Asia and Europe manage and lead their organization, to benchmark with others in the field and to learn new skills and approaches through experienced arts managers and trainers in the field. The training will empower them as leaders in their field and create a basis and opportunity for long term exchange and cooperation between participants.

Activities & Process

1) Online Platform
An online platform will be activated a month before the workshop allowing the selected participants to be in communication with each other before they physically meet. They will upload information about themselves, their project, the challenges they face. This will allow the group to get a better insight in each other’s context.

2) Presentations
Every participant will be given a 9 minute timeslot to present him/her and the context of their artistic space.

3) Workshops
Group discussions will take place in different Independent Creative Art Spaces in Paris around issues presented by the participants by real life case studies. Participants will work in groups to discuss and present ideas for challenges colleagues in the field are facing.

4) Colloquium
The participants will attend a colloquium on ‘New Territories of the Arts’ organized by the French Ministry of Culture in cooperation with Artfactories, specifically addressing challenges of Independent Art Spaces in France and beyond.

5) Publication
The publication (online and offline) will be a compilation of case studies and interviews with the participants aiming at giving inspiration to other artist/managers who are facing similar challenges.

Proposed Trainers

Trainers and moderators will be people from Asia and Europe with training experience and with extensive experience in running an independent creative art space.

Who can apply ?

20 People - 10 from Europe and 10 from Asia - will be selected through this open call for application to attend this training. Candidates should fit the below mentioned criteria, fill out the application form and send the required information. Applications need to be received before the 1st of September. The results of the selection will be announced mid September. Selections will be made by the organizers by representatives of Artfactories, Trans Europe Halles and Asia Europe Foundation.

The candidate should be :

1) A national of an ASEM member country :
Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Malta, Myanmar, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vietnam.

2) Be between 25-35 years of age

3) Be fluent and articulate in spoken English

4) Be taking on a leadership position in the organization

5) Be interested in developing international exchange and cooperation

6) A few years’ experience in managing an interdisciplinary creative art space with a need of additional expertise to bring the art space to a new faze of development
OR
Have arts project experience and about to open his/her first art space
OR
Managing an interdisciplinary art space and would like to broaden his/her vision, skills and international perspective

7) Be open-minded, willing to share his/her own experiences and knowledge

Submission

To apply for this Independent Creative Art Spaces Leadership Training you need to fulfill the above mentioned criteria and send us by email the following information :

1. The Application Form (answering all questions!)

2. Your Curriculum Vitae (2 A4 pages max)

3. Your letter of motivation mentioning the 3 key reasons why you would like to attend this training( max 1 A4 page)

4. A photo of yourself (jpeg small size)

5. A scanned copy of your passport where expiry date is clearly visible Or Faxed copy to +65 6872 1207.

Please submit your application and all requirements by Email by September 1st 2007 to :

Ms. Katelijn Verstraete
Cultural Exchange
Asia-Europe Foundation
31 Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Singapore 119595
email : Katelijn.verstraete@asef.org

Tel + 65 6874 9724

Terms and Conditions

 If necessary, the organizers will subsidize the charges of international and local travel (e.g. travel taxes are applicable) to participate in the project. This applies to point-to-point trips only. Accommodation (twin sharing) and meals for duration of the programme will also be taken care of.
 Each selected participant will sign a contract with ASEF within the week following the announcement of his/her selection. If not, his/her selection will be invalid.
 All participants will receive a certificate of participation at the end of the programme.
 The participant is willing to authorize the organizers to document and duplicate copies of the video recordings from the workshops without royalty costs*.
* Note: The Asia-Europe Foundation will be producing copies of the performance in DVD format for project documentation, evaluation, future presentations and promotion of the programme. The said material will have no commercial value and will not be for sale.

Organisation

This project is a cooperation between Asia-Europe Foundation (www.asef.org), Artfactories and Trans Europe Halles and other partners like the European National Institutes of Culture and the Ministry of Culture, France.

The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) seeks to promote better mutual understanding and closer cooperation between the people of Asia and Europe through greater intellectual, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges. These exchanges include conferences, lecture tours, workshops, seminars and the use of web-based platforms. The major achievement of ASEF is the establishment of permanent bi-regional networks focused on areas and issues that help to strengthen Asia-Europe relations. Established in February 1997 by the partners of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), ASEF is the only permanent physical institution of the ASEM process. ASEF works in partnership with other public institutions and civil society actors to ensure its work is broad-based and balanced among the partner countries. http://www.asef.org

Artfactories is an international platform of resources, created in 2002, to represent, promote and support existing and emerging “project/spaces†. A ‘project/space’ is defined as a place of creativity, artistic production and elaboration, cross pollenization, experimentation, invention, social encounters and conviviality. The intention of such spaces is to offer a step towards new possibilities, offering a vision of contemporary creation linked to community development. www.artfactories.net

Trans Europe Halles (THE) is a network of independent culture centres, founded in 1983 and has currently 45 members in 25 countries. (TEH) provides a stimulating platform for exchange, support and co-operation between its members. The network brings together a great diversity of independent and multi-disciplinary cultural centres. All of the organisations in Trans Europe Halles have their own distinguishing features; however they share the same spirit of support for new talent, innovation, young artists and cultural exchange. The projects undertaken in the Trans Europe Halles network are conducted within the local context but provide an international perspective. They address artistic and social issues and aim to promote co-operation and understanding between European cultural organisations. www.teh.net

Apllication Form