Australia Council strengthens bilateral arts relationship with China

The Australia Council for the Arts has announced that two professional arts managers have been given the opportunity to build their international arts expertise in China as part of the Council’s professional arts placement program. A further placement is available in 2017 at Shanghai International Dance Centre.

The inaugural recipients of this new partnership with China are Snuff Puppet’s General Manager Jodie Kinnersley and Artist Manager Mel Cheng from One Louder Entertainment.

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An opportunity is currently offered in this year's programme:

In 2017 Australia Council is offering professional arts placement opportunities for arts managers in Australia, in partnership with dedicated performing arts organisations in China. These placements are intended as opportunities to build international expertise, inter-cultural capability, and international festival experience, foster industry relationships, and develop an understanding of the Chinese arts market.

Expressions of Interest (EOIs) are now open for arts managers, producers, and production managers (from Australia) to apply for a Professional Arts Placement at the Shanghai International Dance Centre from 1 Sept – 31 Nov 2017.

Deadline: 16 May 2017

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Jodie will work with Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre (SDAC) under the mentorship of SDAC’s Head of International, Ophelia Huang. Established in 1995, SDAC is one of China’s most active performing arts institutions and the only national theatre company in Shanghai.

Mel will work with Split Works General Manager, Claire O’Shannessy, over a three month period. Split Works is an independent China-based music company founded in 2006, aiding the growth of the live music industry in China and the wider Asia region, working with both Chinese and Western music artists across a range of genres. Split Works aims to create a more sustainable ecosystem for music in China, offering several large-scale independent music festivals annually.

Dr Wendy Were, Executive Director of Strategic Development and Advocacy at the Australia Council for the Arts, congratulated the recipients.

“The Australia Council delivers a number of programs and initiatives targeted at supporting Australian arts and cultural engagement with China as part of its International Arts Strategy. It was wonderful to see significant interest from a number of high calibre applicants to the professional arts placement program in China in its inaugural year,” Dr Were said.

“This placement provides opportunities for Australian arts managers to build international expertise, intercultural capacity and international festival experience by fostering industry relationships and developing an understanding of the Chinese arts market. It also provides valuable relationship building for the future arts collaboration and exchange between Australia and China.”

The Council received significant interest in the professional arts placement in China, open to arts managers, producers and marketing and communications professionals. China’s partnership in the professional arts placement program builds upon other current and recently delivered Outbound and Inbound Programs in the region.

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Top image: Concrete & Grass Festival, Shanghai, 2016

Lower image: Snuff Puppets, copyright Paulo Barbuto 2016