The 2nd Annual IPA Street Photography Asia Contest by Invisible Photographer Asia (IPA) is now open for submissions. This 2nd Edition Contest marks IPA’s 2nd anniversary and is a celebration, challenge, and search for the best street photographs and photographers in Asia.

The contest is open and free to photographers of any level, and in any country of residence. However, submissions must be in the street photography genre and shot in Asia within the last 24 months. Contest submission period starts from 1st April and closes 1st June 2012.

Countries in Asia include:

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste (East Timor), Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Yemen.

2. Download and fill in the Contest Entry Form

3. Prepare your three entry images to the following requirements:

Please submit pictures resized to 1200 pixels on the long side (width for landscape, height for portrait orientation), in JPG or JPEG format, with a maximum file size of 2MBs each only. Ensure that you name your image file this way: photographername_imagenumber_title.jpg (eg. Johnlee_01_wildstreet.jpg, Johnlee_02_thelitmen.jpg, Johnlee_03_streetmomentkl.jpg ). Do NOT submit images with watermarks of any kind. Please DO NOT frame your images with borders.

4. Submit your three image entries and completed Entry Form by sending them to email: streetcontest@invisiblephotographer.asia with the following Email Subject – [IPA Street Photography Contest 2012 - Photographer's Name - Country]

CONTEST PRIZE

20 Finalists and 2 runner-ups will be selected and shortlisted by judges, but there will only be one GRAND 1ST PRIZE Winner. The GRAND 1ST PRIZE Winner will recieve a ‘CLASSIC STREET KIT’ valued at approximately USD$2,000. The ‘CLASSIC STREET KIT’ Prize includes:  1) A street shooter’s LEICA M2 Rangefinder Camera* in Chrome with special IPA engraving, kindly sponsored by BenPhoto Singapore; 2) A minty Voigtlander Ultron 35mm F/1.7 Lens* kindly sponsored by Chiif Cameras, Official Voigtlander Dealer; and 3) An IPA Street Photography T-shirt.  SOLE 1ST Prize Winner takes it all, but all Finalists claim bragging rights and will have their images exhibited in Singapore at the IPA Gallery.

The Cultural Exchange Department at the Asia-Europe Foundation seeks to recruit a motivated Project Executive with excellent communication and administration skills. The successful candidate will assist the Department Director and direct supervisor in developing and implementing specific projects and communication activities with particular regard to the area of Cultural Exchange.

He/She should have a good understanding of international relations and a demonstrable professional experience in related areas of work, as well as a good attitude in relating and communicating with public and private interlocutors. Besides a fluency in English, the knowledge of other ASEM languages may be an asset, as well as a good knowledge of on-line communication channels and social media tools.

For further details about this position please refer to the “Careers” section of ASEF website

The deadline for submissions of applications is June 5, 2012.

On Tuesday May 22 in Amsterdam, Trans Artists / Platform AiR NL organizes a meeting for artists and organizers of artist-in-residence programs about facing the unforeseen, with speakers from Japan and the Netherlands.

Thinking about artist-in-residence experiences in urgent situations

After the nuclear disaster in Fukushima in Japan (March 2011) AiR organizers in the polluted areas wanted to share their experiences and asked Trans Artists to address the subject. This meeting takes a wider scope and addresses also other situations of instability and urgency.

Each artist-in-residence organization needs some basic form of continuity, consistency, and stability. What if this basic guarantee of existence is challenged?

- How do AiR organizers cope with unforeseen situations?
- How can artists prepare themselves to work in an unstable environment?
- How do AiR organizers cope with artists, who come from unstable situations?

The program of the meeting includes presentations, artist’s talks and discussions about the challenges, which artist-in-residence centers in Japan are facing. Next to this we will seek for practical examples how to prepare for entering situations of instability and conflict, and how to deal with those situations. We will address the issue of receiving as AiR organizers artists in need, who come from unstable situations. And we will look for strategies and structures for sharing expertise and knowledge.

Presentationsby: Mami Odai director of Arcus, Japan, Nishiko, Japanese artist based in The Hague, Peer de Rijk, director Tegenstroom / Wise, Amsterdam, Jan Willem Petersen, architect and founder of Specialist Operations, Amsterdam, Roel Schoenmakers, Cascoland, Amsterdam, Shahin Abdalla (Syria), former artist in resident at Cascoland.

When: Tuesday May 22, 10.45 – 16.00 h.
Where:Trans Artists office, Arie Biemondstraat 105, Amsterdam
Costs: 10 Euro incl. Japanese lunch! (cash at the door)
Sign up now!!: secretariaat@transartists.org

Read more about the programme.

Further information - Contact h.vogels@transartists.org

The Impakt Festival is the annual culmination of Impakt’s activities as a foundation specialising in critical media culture: a multi-medial festival with conferences, readings, performances, screenings, exhibitions, and music.

The curatorial proposal can be submitted by curators individually or collectively and should revolve around this year’s theme, No More Westerns: the changing image culture under the influence of geo-political changes worldwide.

We expect curator(s) to present a clear vision on the relations between economic developments, media industry, image culture, cultural identity, and contemporary iconography in order to investigate and analyse future developments by means of the programs presented at the Impakt Festival 2012.

The festival program should sketch out subjective long-term prospects of the media culture and the ways this culture may develop in decades to come. These developments should also contain links between the current-day situation and the situation in the past, especially in respect to the emerging economies of, for instance, the BRIC countries.

Ideally, the curator or the curatorial team can be responsible for the entire festival program comprising films, lectures, new media projects, presentation, a music program, and an exhibition. Another possibility is to submit a proposal for one or some of the parts of the festival program.

Depending on the response of the potential candidates, Impakt may choose to work with an overall proposal of one curator or a team of curators, or to bring several curators together and compile a combination of different proposals. For more details about the No More Westerns theme, we refer you to the text on our website.

There is a budget for compiling the program including artists and screening fees, travelling and accommodation expenses, technical and building overhead. Curators will be paid a fee and receive a research budget. Following a first selection of the proposals submitted, the curators in question will be contacted about the financial details.

Submission guidelines
Deadline: 11 June
Notification: 26 June

In order to qualify for selection, please send an email to nmw@impakt.nl stating:

• An overall concept clarifying the approach of, and connection to the No More Westerns theme.
• An introduction to the various parts of the program including an overview of the artists featured in the various programs and a short explanation of the choices made in this respect.
• Documentation of some of the more prominently featured artists, containing links to portfolios, writings, videos, resumes, etc.
• A clear indication of the program parts compiled by the curator, and, if applicable, a description of the program parts for which the main curator chooses to work with external curators (including resumes).
• If a curator chooses to submit a concept for a separate part of the program instead of an overall proposal, we expect to receive a clear indication of any uncovered program parts, that is, program parts for which Impakt is expected to find other curators.
• Resumes of the curator (or all curators in the team).

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This opportunity came via Artservis (Thanks!)
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The European Union and China are taking their co-operation to a new level with the launch of a “people-to-people” dialogue covering education, culture, youth, research and multilingualism.

The Turin School of Development in Italy announces a Masters programme in World Heritage and Cultural Projects for Development. Applications invited – course starts October 2012.

Cultural activities are a major contributor to national development, job creation and social cohesion. The master in World Heritage and Cultural Projects for Development aims to impart the necessary competencies and skills to participants in the conservation and promotion of World Heritage Sites as well as in the conceptualization of sustainable projects designed around a wide spectrum of cultural activities in the fields of natural and cultural heritage, creative industries, museums and tourism.

The Programme provides a solid foundation in a variety of cultural economics topics and the value chain of cultural and natural sites. It explores in detail the economic, social, institutional and legal considerations that govern the diverse categories of UNESCO-designated World Heritage Sites.

The Programme also puts emphasis on strategic management competencies for the preservation and promotion of these sites as well as on monitoring the efficacy and adequacy of site management plans and associated cultural projects.

The Master is designed by the University of Torino , the Politecnico di Torino , the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITCILO), and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

ICCROM, as intergovernmental organization dedicated to the conservation of cultural heritage, and SiTI, as a research institute on innovation and socio-economic growth, are associated with this initiative in their respective areas of expertise. University Paris 1 Sorbonne -Pantheon and the Macquarie University of Sydney – Australia, two top universities in the international panorama, are partners of the Master.

The International Research Centre on the Economics of Culture and World Heritage Studies (Category 2 Centre Turin) under the auspices of UNESCO founded by Professor Santagata is also associated with the Master. This centre is located at the Venaria Reale World Heritage Site in Turin, allowing students to visit and study this beautiful palace.

Deadline for application:

There are two deadlines for submitting applications. There is an early bird deadline of 3 June 2012, and a final deadline of 2 September 2012.

Course Structure:

The Master will take place from 15 October 2012 and is divided into three major learning cycles.

The first cycle will be conducted through a distance learning component that will start on 15 October 2012 and will end on 21 December 2012.

The second cycle, from 28 January 2013 to 22 May 2013, is a face-to-face learning period that will be held in Turin, Italy, at the International Training Centre of the ILO. Class attendance is compulsory for the entire period.

The third cycle, from 23 May 2012 to 30 September 2013, will be a research and study period during which the students may attend internships activities and are expected to finalize their final project.

More information on how to apply

• a professional exhibition program
• professional development opportunities
• promotion and commercial services and
• advocacy on behalf of the sector

Craft ACT continues to present innovative and high quality exhibitions for the people of Canberra and in doing so supports approximately 150 established and emerging artists in its exhibition program per annum.

The careers of many local internationally renowned craft artists and the potential of new emerging practitioners form a rich vein of Canberra’s cultural identity. These artists constitute Craft ACT’s membership and it promotes and supports all areas of the craft and design sector, covering textiles and fibre, metal and jewellery, glass, ceramics, furniture and objects.

Craft ACT is a pivotal player in Canberra’s visual and contemporary craft and art landscape, collaborating regularly with other arts and cultural. Craft ACT is part of the network of Australian Craft Design Centres (ACDC), a national strategic and advocacy body, and is positioned to promote the activities of its members and local artists to national and international audiences. Through these links and beyond to other organisations and institutions across Australia, Craft ACT provides opportunities that allow artists and designers to establish and maintain successful professional practices in the Canberra region.

Craft organisations in other states include:

• Craft Victoria
• Arts and Craft New South Wales
• Artisan
• Territory Craft
• Craftsouth

Desart’s commitment

• Respect for traditional culture and Aboriginal peoples’ aspirations
• Employment for Aboriginal people
• Support for sound governance, professional standards and ethical industry practices
• Marketing and advocacy for Aboriginal owned Art Centres

Desart represents Art Centres which support these objectives:

• Authenticity of artworks
• Maximum returns to Aboriginal people and their organisations
• Promotion of professional art practice and ethical dealings with artists

Aboriginal artists are committed to sharing their culture with the world. Desart’s mission is to support Central Australian Aboriginal artists and Art Centres working together in a vigorous, ethical Aboriginal arts industry.

Desart’s goals are:

• Help and support for Art Centres: To empower Art Centres through the provision of resources and support to artists and staff
• More jobs for Aboriginal people: To increase the employment of Aboriginal artists and arts workers in the industry
• Selling more Art: To develop new markets and showcase Central Australian Aboriginal art
• Showing people how to be fair when they buy art and when they sell art: To contribute to an informed Aboriginal Art Industry based on ethical practices. Desart is working to encourage the implementation of the new Indigenous Visual Arts Commercial Code of Conduct across the industry.
• Speaking up strong for Art Centres: To represent the voice of Aboriginal Art Centres and their artists and advocate effectively.

Desart is about everybody. They want everyone to know what is happening and welcome many cultures, languages and stories. Everyone can have their say and everyone is treated with respect. Members of Desart are independent, Aboriginal-owned, separately incorporated Art Centres or other Art Centres, which are activities of larger Aboriginal-owned organisations. Some member Art Centres, previously activities of community councils, are now operating under the management of NT Shires.

• Representation and Advocacy
• Facilitation and Development
• Information and Advice

They are unique because they work with people with disability in all areas of the arts, with all art forms, all age groups, and across all impairments. They are a national organisation, and their headquarters move around from time to time as they are hosted by their partners in different states and territories of Australia.

Other state-based organisations that work in the area of access and the arts are:

• Accessible Arts NSW
• Arts Access Darwin
• Access Arts Queensland
• Arts Access Victoria
• DADAA (WA)

The establishment of the Centre is at the heart of an ambitious Victorian Government initiative which saw Melbourne designated as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2008 and join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network alongside Berlin, Montreal, Seville, Edinburgh and other global creative cities.

The Centre is a hub and home for writers and key literary organisations, including the Melbourne Writers’ Festival, Victorian Writers’ Centre, Express Media, Emerging Writers’ Festival, Australian Poetry Centre, Small Press Underground Networking Community (SPUNC), the Melbourne branch of PEN International. It provides shared meeting rooms and workshop spaces to foster collaboration, hot desks for short-term use by other writers and organisations as required and access to a large performance space with a seating capacity of 200. The Centre’s interior designers peckvonhartel won a 2010 Melbourne Design Award for Best Interior Design (Public or Institutional Project) for their work on the Centre.

The Wheeler Centre is responsible for programming a range of events across the year: the annual Premier’s Literary Awards, the prestigious annual Deakin Lectures, keynote public events including international speakers, as well as book and magazine launches, speeches, debates, seminars, poetry recitals, book readings, symposia, awards and performances.

A new Centre management organisation will coordinate the facilities and public programs. Major events will be filmed and archived on the Centre’s content-rich website for online debate and discussion.