Special Project
‘OPEN CALL for Applications: CULTIVATE Module 2’ – Professional Development for Curators and Arts Managers
By in-tangible Institute
CULTIVATE Open Call for Applications: Module 2, focusing on ‘Patronage’. Now open!
Application Period: 9 September – 9 November, 2024
Location: Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and Online
Program Fee: 37,000 THB ($1000 USD) per participant, per module (exclusive of necessary travel costs)
Module 2 Program Dates: 18 – 24 February, 2025 onsite seminars; 25 February – 25 May online mentoring
OVERVIEW
CULTIVATE is a professional development program organized for curators / arts managers, targeting current staff of art entities and freelance operators in Southeast Asia. CULTIVATE is a not-for-profit initiative of in-tangible institute.
CULTIVATE invites acclaimed experts as faculty to Bangkok to develop 18 select arts professionals with skills and networks to distinguish themselves and their affiliates as leading facilitators of contemporary art in the region. For each module, different faculty members add topically-relevant experience as educators and facilitators of contemporary culture, with particular insight from their work across the Global South. Each of the 5 modules includes a 1-week face-to-face intensive, followed by a practicum of periodic group and individual online meetings with nominated faculty throughout the following three months. Participants will use their current projects as case studies for faculty consultation and problem-solving. To conclude each module, participants submit materials for assessment to guest faculty.
Module 2 focuses on ‘Patronage’, examining the current structures of support in the Arts, with particular reflection on the financial, intellectual and ethical impact of its assumptions on the growth of the arts ecology in Southeast Asia. What does it mean to encourage collectors as patrons? What role do curators and arts managers have in educating our supporters? How do we (curators, arts managers, gallerists, collectors) support the ethical growth of our artists and the (human and non-human) contexts of their artistic production? Such investigation will be studied via first-hand experiences from faculty, in addition to exploring the mechanics of: curator/artist/patron relations; how to nurture philanthropic ethos; outlining strategic methods of collection-based research; basic assessments of authenticity and appraisal; encouraging ‘pro-active’ collecting; and building patrons as community builders.
Faculty for Module 2 includes: Alessio Antoniolli (Director, Triangle Arts Network; previous Director of Gasworks, London); Adeline Ooi (curator and arts advisor, previous Director, Art Basel, Hong Kong); X Zhu Nowell (curator and Director, Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai); Erin Robideaux Gleeson (curator, writer, educator; ‘Interdisciplinary Art and Social Practice, University of Minnesota, previous Director/Founder of Sasabassac, Phnom Penh); Andreas Teoh (collector and Founder, The Institutum, Singapore) and Zoe Butt (curator, writer, educator; director/founder, in-tangible institute).
LEARNING OUTCOMES
CULTIVATE develops leadership and practical skills to raise the professional standards of facilitating contemporary art—both institutional display of art and curatorial development of private and public collections. Participants learn from experts in an intimate 3:1 faculty ratio. CULTIVATE is conducted in English only.
- Participants will learn how to expand audiences, build community, and facilitate transformative experiences between diverse publics and contemporary culture.
- Participants will gain the skills to improve local and foreign audience engagement and curate innovative programs that can compete on an international stage.
- Participants will learn to negotiate and collaborate with industry stakeholders, navigate cross-border programming, and elevate local community voices.
- Participants will expand their institutional and personal networks to leading talents in the region and beyond, opening the door to future global collaborations.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
- Proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in English.
- Critical approach to demonstrated curatorial / arts management practice (minimum 3 years experience).
- Desire to be mentored.
- Living and working in Southeast Asia.
- Citizen or permanent resident of one of the following: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Mainland China, East Timor, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Art entities (public, private, or commercial) in the region are invited to sponsor individuals who will most benefit from this program. Freelance individuals in the field can also apply at their own cost. Two scholarships are offered for Thai curators/arts workers (tuition fee only).
Prospective participants are required to submit the following application materials in English:
- Statement of Intent (≤ 500 words): how would the program benefit your career and impact the audiences and teams you work with? *Please note, two scholarships are offered for Thai curators/arts workers (tuition fee only). If interested, please state so in your ‘Statement of Intent’
- Case Study (≤ 500 words): a project in progress to further develop during the program.
- Resume/CV (≤ 2 pages).
- Portfolio (≤ 10 pages): written descriptions and image documentation of no more than 4 previous projects.
- Affiliation: sponsor name, contact details, and associated institution (if relevant).
- Submit applications via email [[email protected]], subject line “CULTIVATE Module 2 Application – [NAME]” with all application materials combined and attached as a single PDF (file size ≤ 15 MB).
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 9 November, 2024
Shortlisted applicants will be assessed by in-tangible institute. Successful applicants will be notified by 30 November, 2024.
Each Module of CULTIVATE is a competitive Open Call. Application procedures above apply for all modules. Dates for future modules to be announced in due course. If you are interested in becoming a CULTIVATE Program Partner (which would secure your participation in all future modules), please contact: [email protected]
WHY CULTIVATE?
The first of its caliber in Southeast Asia, CULTIVATE offers professional development aimed at equipping a new generation of locally rooted and internationally-informed leaders to elevate the standards of arts in the region. This is needed to strengthen the capacity of cultural institutions in Southeast Asia to establish mutually generative international collaborations. The sector increasingly demands internationally competent expertise to realize programs that are resonant and relevant to both local and global contexts.
Supporting Southeast Asian cultural histories, heritage, and methodologies is inseparable from our participation on the world stage. Many regional economies are reliant on cultural tourism, which requires developing our own local talents into innovative stars, equipped to elevate community-rooted stories for global audiences. Southeast Asia’s cultural industry requires infrastructural and talent development to captivate both local and international attention and investments toward re-writing the art histories of our region on our own terms.
If Southeast Asian cultural initiatives are to innovate and participate globally, we must cultivate local talent and equip them with resources and experience. Rather than removing participants from the workforce, CULTIVATE leverages their ongoing careers as practical case studies and educational opportunities. Participants’ local institutions, programs, and audiences directly benefit from CULTIVATE top-tier faculty consultation on these live case studies. By convening local and international talents to address on-the-ground issues in Southeast Asia, CULTIVATE aims to nurture more diversified ‘centers’ of the global art world.
Are you Thai and interested in applying? We offer 2 scholarships (tuition fee only)
For more information on the incredible experience of CULTIVATE faculty, and how to apply, please visit: https://in-tangible.org/cultivate/
Image Gallery
