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Globalisation has been a keyword in the arts for some years now; and if the latest manifesto from Arts Council England is a guide, it looks as though the whole industry could be steered into taking a more international approach.
Alessio Antoniolli is in favour and discusses the merits of international exchange programmes to artists and organisations alike.

Following its recent restructuring, Arts Council England (ACE) published a manifesto for 2003?2006 in which it pledges to take a contemporary, international approach to the arts. Its focus is on the development and promotion of international exchanges, thereby ensuring that audiences and artists in this country benefit from the best of the arts from outside the UK. In supporting such exchanges, ACE will actively encourage new international developments; but in addition, it will have a significant impact on organisations in the UK and abroad which have already been establishing international links by setting up reciprocal systems for professional development and education for artists and audiences.

New influences

International exchanges can take various forms ranging from international conferences to art shows, but in recent years we have seen a growing number of international artists? residencies. ACE, along with other funders such as Visiting Arts and the British Council, seems to agree that residency exchanges encourage creativity and promote artistic development through contacts between the multiplicity of voices that make up the international contemporary arts.

International residencies undoubtedly present participating artists with a series of challenges. It can be more than a little disconcerting to arrive in a country you do not know, surrounded by artists you have never met, and all the same be expected to produce work. The combination of language difficulties with the potential for personality clashes means that residencies can be a risk, but despite such problems they are generally seen as a great opportunity for professional development. They provide artists with a period for research and the opportunity to be experimental in their practice. Away from their home territory and their regular commitments and routine, artists can concentrate on planning new work and take risks by trying new concepts or techniques. They have the chance to focus on the process of creating new work rather than on the finished product. This can have profound and long-lasting effects on their practice, particularly when coupled with the opportunity to work alongside other artists whose work can stimulate ideas and encourage positive change. In fact, the success of residencies is often related to the extent to which artists are open to new influences and keen to exchange ideas with one another. These exchanges are particularly valuable in promoting and encouraging understanding of cultural diversity as an enriching element of personal and professional growth.

Home and abroad

At Gasworks in London, for instance, international visiting artists develop new work alongside UK-based artists working in a variety of media. The presence of a gallery within the building also contributes to making a lively and dynamic environment. This perspective of the city?s arts scene is further widened when we consider the plethora of resources that London offers in terms of galleries, museums, libraries and organisations providing technical resources. Moreover, residencies include education and outreach projects that engage artists with local audiences and provide further access and understanding of local communities. This is also the case for UK artists undertaking residencies abroad. For example, at the Bag Factory, a studio and gallery complex in Johannesburg, South Africa, visiting artists benefit from contact with local artists to gain access to the local arts scene. The development of outreach projects has also offered a unique opportunity to engage with and learn from local community groups.
In both cases the contribution that artists make to the local arts scene by sharing their experience and discussing their practice ? particularly when the dialogue is based on a reciprocal exchange ? can have a mutually profound and long-term effect. As artists follow up and maintain contacts, future opportunities such as collaborative projects, further residencies and exhibitions are made possible. The benefits of international exchanges also extend to host organisations, enabling them to develop links with one another. This provides them with access to artists and resources that would otherwise not be available, particularly to those countries where arts structures are limited and where artists can feel isolated.

New networks

Triangle Arts Trust is one example of an international network which for over 20 years has developed exchanges between artists and organisations across the world. Through the network, independent local organisations subscribing to a common interest in developing exchanges through residencies and workshops have provided access and support to thousands of artists worldwide. The growth of the network, which is artist-led, is reliant on exchange and discussion. ACE?s pledge towards internationalism provides an important opportunity to extend existing structures for artists? exchange through residencies, as well as to create new networks that encourage international dialogue. Hopefully this will encourage an understanding of contemporary art as something that has international possibilities that extend beyond exhibitions.

Alessio Antoniolli is Residency Coordinator at Gasworks. t: 0207 587 5202;
e: alessio@gasbag.org; w: http://www.gasworks.org.uk, http://www.bagfactoryart.org.za and http://www.trianglearts.org