HAT: Asia/UK 2005-6-7
The ambition is to build on the experience and successes of the first HAT Project model and secure a new set of exchange residencies between the UK, Asia and Australia, between 2006 and 2007.
The programme will involve up to 20 individual research residencies. Partner countries will include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Australia. The residency programme in the UK will be centred on the North West of England with up to 4 of the international artists being based with hosts and partner organisations across the region in Liverpool, Manchester and Cumbria. In return up to 4 North West based artists (or artists associated with NW based organisations and programmes) will take up residencies in the partner countries.
Partnership with three other regions in the UK (East Midlands, South East and South West) will support a further 12 residencies, with each region hosting 2 international residencies and supporting 2 artists from their regions to take up the reciprocal residencies abroad.
The broad research theme, which will be common to all the residencies, will explore the idea of displacement and examine the ways in which new work is developed in response and in relation to new cultural contexts and new perspectives.
It is envisaged that the research will be essentially practice-based and that each artist will set out their own work programme within the theme. The partner host organisations will offer the facilities, critical context and access to networks as appropriate to support the research proposals. Each residency and their outcomes will constitute an important part of the programme of work of the host organisation. It will support their programme objectives and be linked to wider programmes and projects that are strategically linked or associated with other projects or initiatives within their respective regions.
A one-week residential conference/workshop comprising all 20 of the HAT artists, along with curators, project managers and representatives from host organisations will take place in South Asia in 2007.
