A grant program enabling Taiwan arts and culture administrators to undergo training in the U.S. was launched April 13 by the Ministry of Culture and Taipei City-based Foundation for Scholarly Exchange, also known as Fulbright Taiwan.
Under the initiative running through 2022, three local candidates each year will receive funding to attend a three-month educational course. The program is open to talents with expertise in arts administration, copyright policy studies, marketing, or arts and cultural sector R&D.
The fellowship was launched with the inking of a memorandum of understanding by Wu Shao-kai, director-general of the MOC’s Department of Cultural Exchange, and William C. Vocke, executive director of FSE. The signing was witnessed by MOC Deputy Minister Yang Tzu-pao and FSE Chairman Jesse Curtis.
According to Yang, management professionals play a crucial role in raising the international profile of homegrown arts. The new program will foster the adoption of the latest administrative practices in Taiwan and spur the growth of the nation’s cultural and creative industry, he said.
The initiative also spotlights the ministry’s commitment to boosting exchanges between Taiwan and U.S. talents, Yang said, adding that it is hoped this program will lay the foundations for expanded official arts and cultural ties between the two sides going forward.
Speaking at the signing, Lin Hwai-min, founder of Taiwan’s renowned modern dance company Cloud Gate, shared his experiences as a Fulbright scholar in 1989. He said the time he spent in New York that year enabled him to explore a variety of different art forms and provided the inspiration for “Nine Songs,” one of the troupe’s most celebrated works.
Lauding the new program as an important step in the development of Taiwan’s arts sector, Lin said it will help enhance local cultural creativity and establish an international talent support network.
FSE, a bilateral organization administering the local U.S. Fulbright educational exchange program, is funded by Taiwan government agencies and the U.S. Congress. The foundation has awarded over 1,600 Taiwan and 1,400 U.S. grantees since 1957. (CPY-E)
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