Valencia welcomes Asian cultural actors for their study visits

Contributed by Pau Rausell & Chuan Li,  photography by Joan Sanchis  

The Econcult of the University of Valencia, as local coordinator of the project Eurasian Area space Networking, greeted Asian space managers for their participation in the Valencia session of the project, including two-day study visit and one-day workshop, supported by the Asia-Europe Foundation in Valencia, Spain during October 24 – 26, 2016.

The project seeks to promote the cooperation between the creative spaces of Asia and Europe through the exchange of information, the study visits and communication of the experiences. In September, a European delegation has already conducted a visit to China, organized by the Institute of Cultural Industries of the University of Yunnan. 

Participantes meet managers in the Lanzadera

During the three-day study visits and workshop the Asian cultural operators from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Philippines, together with a part of European peers from Gran Canarias Island, Marseille, and Valencia regions, visited various types of creative spaces from start-up coworking such as Lanzadera, the future cultural spaces on the basis of Alinghi, the Veles e Vents building in the Marina of Valencia, to the public spaces for creativity such as the Festival Intramurs; from the City of the Artist Fallero in Benicalap as one of the first cultural districts, in contemporary sense, in Europe, to the Benimaclet Musical Instruction Center as representative of a space of creation and dissemination of cultural anchored in sociocultural characteristics of their own. 

Local manager teams explain the strategic plan for Alinghi public space.

In addition, the participants also visited some more conventional circuit spaces like the IVAM or Berklee College of Music, Valencia Campus, which have been actively engaged in the social innovation and exhibit a flash connection between urban cultural facilitates and their social context.

All spaces are to be documented and published through the updated 360º photography technology as case studies and project output, powered by Bernard Custard, who is not only one of the European participants but also the technological collaborator of this project. 

Local falla artists introduce their falla workshop 

The five Asian participants are selected through an open call in this February, they are 

Anik WIJAYANTI (Indonesia), founder and director of a local music education institute Ethnictro.

Saya NAMIKWA (Japan) Coordinator of the international festivals for cultural exchange of Italy and Japan.

Vagaram Choudhary (India), project head and curator of Indian artist residence project Sowing Seed.

Wawi NAVARROZA (the Philippines), founder and director of a multi-platform and artist-run photographic space Thousandfold

Hurch E. WILCO (New Zealand), director and curator of Shanghai-based private art gallery Cospace

The Valencia session also has got support from Asia-Pacific division of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the General Directorate of Culture and heritage of the Generalitat Valenciana, Asia-Europe Foundation and the University of Valencia.