Deadline: 15 July 2014

Through Creative Encounters, ASEF, ANA and TEH actively foster connections across cultures by supporting artistic collaborations, exchanges and dialogues. Together, they aim to reinforce Asia-Europe exchanges with the objectives of deepening mutual understanding between cultural communities in the two regions, enhancing the mobility of artists and cultural professionals, and encouraging creative collaborations.

Creative Encounters directly responds to the Action Plan of the ASEM Culture Ministers which recognises “the important role of (…) cultural organisations in promoting cultural diversity” and specifically calls for the promotion of “exchanges in the areas of performances, exhibitions, literary works and audio-visual programmes between Asian and European countries.”

Theme:

For this 4th call, proposals are invted that explore issues of cultural mobility and community engagement. “Cultural mobility is not about one-off, superficial experiences: it is about engagement with another culture, and it requires time, knowledge and depth to allow ‘mobile’ artists to develop meaningful connections and real exchanges. The process deserves consideration, not just the concrete and tangible outputs, in order to shape valuable and enriching encounters and long-term quality exchange. This also contributes towards building quality exchange between organisations and individuals.”

In this context, arts projects will be supported that explore community engagement approaches and processes that are rooted in relationship building and which address the following questions:

• What is the process of engagement between the artists and the community?
• How can we guard against superficial engagements?
• What examples/good practices exist for ‘real’ engagement with communities either in the creation of
• art works or in their outreach?
• How can we encourage the “connectedness of art practice to everyday life

Eligibility:

• Applicants and project participants should come from ASEM member countries.
• Projects should be jointly proposed by a minimum of 2 partner organisations (not individuals) from ASEM countries, with at least 1 partner each from Asia & Europe. We welcome multiple project partners.
• Projects should take place between 1 April and 30 November 2015.
• Projects should include result-oriented activities that facilitate collaborations, co-productions, exchanges and dialogues between artists and cultural professionals from Asia and Europe.
• Project events should only take place in ASEM countries.
• Online projects have to be managed from ASEM countries.

For more information and application form, please click here.