Mekong Cultural Hub and British Council launch 2021 SEAΔ Program

Deadline: 15 July 2020

SEAΔ is a program co-created by Mekong Cultural Hub and British Council which creates space for cultural practitioners to reflect on how their work in arts and culture can contribute to sustainable development within South East Asia through their individual and collective leadership.

The program has 4 main gatherings spread over a one-year period where Fellows get together. Each gathering takes place in a different country and has a unique purpose: exchange, create, share then reflect.

Benefits

The program is an opportunity develop yourself, to develop and work with others, and to make an impact on society:

Skills and personal development: presentation skills, advocacy & influencing skills, entrepreneurial thinking, individual personal development plan and dialogue and development from mentors & inspiring speakers from different sectors
Partnership development: new professional and personal networks through collaborative working, regional travel and peer mentoring
Knowledge and values: Exposure to the diverse histories, social, economic and cultural context of SEA through travel to four Asian countries during the one-year program and a deeper understanding of the unique role that arts & culture can play in the South East Asia’s sustainable development

Dates & Location

EXCHANGE November 12-16 2020, Hanoi, Vietnam
CREATE Between January and March 2021, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam
SHARE June 14-17 2021, Manila, Philippines
REFLECT September 14-16 2021, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Each year Mekong Cultural Hub will select 10 Fellows from 10 countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

Who is SEAΔ for?

SEAΔ is designed for all kinds of creative and cultural practitioners (from artists to administrators, managers and policymakers) who are interested in:

Connecting their artistic and cultural work to the challenges of the SDGs (sustainable development goals)
Creating partnerships and collaborations with peers around and with the region
Enlarging the space for the arts and culture in South East Asia
Building civil society through arts and culture
Creating new opportunities for others to grow and develop
Working with people from outside the arts and culture sector

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply to SEAΔ you must be a citizen of one of the eligible countries, resident in that same country for the majority of the year, and fit the profile below:
- Committed to a career in arts and culture (with at least 5-10 years existing experience in the sector)
- Are already engaging with social and development issues through your work in the arts and culture
- Are active and engaged in the arts sector in your home country
- Have led other people in making projects or programs happen in your home country (this can be informal)
- Have some experience of working with regional peers/partners (whether at home or in another country)
- Be able to communicate comfortably in English (speaking and listening essential, and basic reading and writing for email communication needed) which will be the shared language of the program
Applicants from Taiwan must also:
- Have an existing connection to South East Asia via experience in the culture sector, and a clear desire and intention to grow their collaborations with South East Asia
- Be culturally sensitive and able to blend into the cultural context of the program and the region
UK applicants must meet eligibility criteria 1-6 above, and also:
- Be resident in the UK as defined by HMRC and have a strong, current connection to South East Asia which will enable to sustain networks after the program finished and have a clear intention to grow their collaborations within South East Asia.
- Culturally sensitive to the cultural context of the program and the region.
They especially want to hear from applicants who have not had significant regional or international experience already and for whom this program would be a real opportunity to move to a new level in your work. They encourage applications from women, and people living with disabilities.
For UK candidates, they strongly encourage applications from people of South East Asian backgrounds due to under-representation in programs of this type.