20 Jul 2017
Creative New Zealand and British Council New Zealand are supporting 11 New Zealand arts practitioners to engage in two bespoke development programmes running alongside the Edinburgh Festivals this August.
The programmes aim to increase participants’ international experience and build relationships for future presentations and collaborations. Eight practitioners will participate in the festivals’ annual international delegate programme Momentum and three will take part in a new artist exchange, International Co-Lab. The latter is a pilot project that brings artists from New Zealand, Scotland and Hong Kong together in Edinburgh for two weeks.
Both initiatives are offered in partnership with the British Council in New Zealand and provide up to $3,200 towards travel costs, plus accommodation in Edinburgh and a contribution towards tickets to shows.
Momentum and International Co-Lab will run in conjunction with the NZ at Edinburgh 2017 season, which offers a bold and innovative selection of dance, theatre, music, comedy, literature and visual arts from Aotearoa, at the world-famous festivals.
Momentum
The New Zealand delegates participating in Momentum this year come from the performing arts, visual arts and literature sectors. They will focus on building relationships with Scottish, UK and international artists, presenters, producers, publishers, curators and cultural partners.
The delegates are:
- Angela Green – producer, A Slightly Isolated Dog Ltd
- Kitan Petkovski – Bullet Heart Club (ALUMNI delegate)
- Nicky Vella – producer, Last Tapes Theatre Company
- Emere Wano – New Zealand Programme Director, WOMAD NZ
- Claire Cowan – musician, composer and collaborator
- Andrew Clifford – Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery (Auckland)
- Stephen Cleland – Adam Art Gallery (Wellington)
- Rachael King – WORD Christchurch.
As part of the programme delegates will be introduced to the directors of Edinburgh’s major festivals, including the world’s largest arts festival the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Edinburgh Art Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival. The delegates will also meet with independent venues, producers, companies and organisations from Scotland and the United Kingdom.
Momentum is delivered through a partnership between the British Council, Festivals Edinburgh and Creative Scotland, with support from City of Edinburgh Council, Event Scotland and the Scottish Government.
International Co-Lab
International Co-Lab will support artists to exchange artistic skills, techniques and cultural knowledge and develop their creative practice. It also supports the development of international networks to encourage collaborative projects.
For New Zealand artists this means the opportunity to develop or extend their knowledge of artistic and cultural practices in Scotland and Hong Kong. It also provides a foundation to develop long-term international markets and audiences in Scotland and/or Hong Kong.
The selected artists are:
- Julia Croft (performer and theatre-maker)
- Nisha Madhan (director, producer, and performance artist)
- Jason Wright (sound artist, composer, sound designer).
Julia Croft and Nisha Madhan also have a work they’ve created in this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Power Ballad, which Julia performs in and Nisha directs.
Subject to funding from participating countries, the selected artists will participate in the pilot programme over three years with the aim of developing deep relationships and collaborative works.
The International Co-Lab is supported by the Momentum legacy fund from Scotland and in partnership with the British Council and West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Hong Kong. The latter is also co-curator of the programme with The Basement Theatre (NZ) and Forest Fringe (United Kingdom).
Media enquiries to:
Jasmyne Chung
Senior Communications & Advocacy Adviser
Creative New Zealand
jasmyne.chung@creativenz.govt.nz
M: 027 838 8868 | DDI: (04) 498 0727
About British Council
The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. It creates friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. Using the UK’s cultural resources it aims to make a positive contribution to the countries it works with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.
The British Council works with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year they reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications.
Their office in New Zealand is committed to developing creative collaborations between Britain, New Zealand and the Pacific.
Founded in 1934, the British Council is a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.
NZ at Edinburgh 2017 season
Edinburgh is set to feast on New Zealand talent in the 70th anniversary of its world-famous festivals.
Whales, puppetry, breakups, gender equality, rape culture, Caribbean calypso, grief and healing, community and salvation, sexual empowerment, and homage to Māori showbands with a contemporary twist are all features of NZ at Edinburgh 2017.
Supported by Creative New Zealand, NZ at Edinburgh 2017 sees the return of a New Zealand season across the various Edinburgh festivals this August, after an ambitious and successful presentation in 2014. From the powerfully provocative to the light-hearted, the 2017 Season offers a bold and innovative selection of dance, theatre, music, comedy, literature and visual arts from Aotearoa.
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