Kymsnetfeatures, Nairobi; The UNESCO-Aschberg Bursaries for Artists is now open. The Call for application for the 2011 bursaries was opened early this week and it will seek to promote the mobility of young artists in order to enrich their personal perspectives, to enable them to engage in an intercultural dialogue and expose them to cultural diversity.
The UNESCO-Aschberg Bursaries Programme offer bursaries in the fields of Visual Arts, Creative Writing and Music. The Programme offers residencies to young artists (between 25 and 35 years old) worldwide. It shares many objectives of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005), which advocates cultural exchanges and highlights creativity and the need for artists to enrich their experience through contact with other cultures.
Artists will be based in various centers spread around the globe. These residencies are catalysts for the development of artistic expression in all cultures of the world. Artists in the Creative Writing field will be based in Camac (France) and Sanskriti Pratishthan (India).
Musicians will be based in Sacatar Foundation (Brazil), Musique Multi-Montréal and the CALQ in Canada, L’Espace Sobo Bade (Senegal) and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (USA).
Visual Artists will be spread around numerous countries that include Bundanon (Australia), Sacatar Foundation (Brazil), Centro Colombo Americano (Colombia), Camac (France), Sanskriti Pratishthan (India), Changdong National Art Studio (Republic of Korea), Civitella Ranieri Center (Italy), UNIDEE (Italy), 18th Street Art Center (USA) and Djerassi Resident Artists Program (USA).
The bursaries are limited and are awarded on a selective basis. The pre-selection of candidates is carried out by the institutions. Artists must therefore apply directly to the institution of their interest, depending on the discipline and/or country sought. The application file is to be submitted directly to the institution of interest.
The UNESCO-Aschberg Bursaries Programme was integrated in UNESCO’s strategy in 1994 to promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. It aims to provide experience to young artists and to help them complete their training in countries other than their own.
The artistic disciplines for which the bursaries are awarded are Music, Visual Arts and Creative Writing. These three fields cover artistic specializations that drive the creative industries, in particular the recording industries, the organization of concerts, the audiovisual sector, graphic design and publishing. The countries of the South, which have a rich artistic tradition, can further their skills in these fields, expanding and boosting the different sectors of the cultural industry.
The Programme is aligned with the Convention on the Promotion and Protection of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which came into force in March 2007, and is a pillar of UNESCO’s strategy in the field of culture. In particular, the Programme is in line with Articles 1, 6, 7 and 10. The Aschberg Programme strategy and mechanisms are based on this text and are part of UNESCO’s policies to promote the diversity of cultural expressions.
The Programme gives priority to artists and institutions in developing countries, in order to enhance North-South and South-South cooperation. Additional information can be found in http://portal.unesco.org/culture
